Unexpected Discoveries
by Prime's sparkling
Summary: When he and his family move to America, Kyle Summers was hoping that things would go well for once in his life. Imagine his surprise when he learns of the secrets held by the not so tiny town of Bellwood and the strange boy that lived next door with a even stranger watch on his wrist. not that he had any foot to stand on in the weird side of things that was.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey everyone. I know it's been a while since I last posted anything but life has been keeping me away. For those of you that have been following my profile don't worry, I have every intention of finishing 'Beautiful Protector' and I have started on the rewrite of 'The kids and the Allspark'. But in the mean time I have decided to post this little side story. Got into the whole Ben 10 craze after omnitrix came out and this is what happens when you stay up too late at night watching the episodes. This fanfic has litrally been just sitting on my machine for the last year and a half, so I appologise a head of time if some of the spelling, grammer, ectra is bad. If there are mistakes I just want to ask you readers that you would please just take a moment to leave a note or something behind. They really help for my writing to improve. Anyway enough rambling, let's get this show on the road.**

 **Prime's sparkling does not own Ben 10 nor shall never own it. She only owns her OCs.**

* * *

 **Chapter 1**

Bellwood was never a place that Kyle considered going to. It was never on his list. He had nothing against the small town but there was nothing that seemed to interest him in the place. He gave the house an expressionless stare, feeling terrified inside when the car pulled to a stop in front of the place they would be calling home and wished that they could just turn around and back to South Africa. It was a small complex compared to the house they had lived in before and the last owner had not taken very good care of it. Hardly any of the paint had survived the harsh winter and the grass on the property stood at high lengths and dried out completely. Even the small shrubs that had been put at the edge of the sidewalk had long since dried out and shriveled out.

"It's smaller than I thought it would be," Sam said seemingly just as he glanced over his shoulder unimpressed over his shoulders and Kyle nodded at the ginger haired boy's thoughts.

"Maybe it's bigger inside?" Kyle asked reaching out a gloved hand to grab the bag he had left in the middle seat. He glanced at Sam carefully though the visor that rested over his eyes and wished for a moment that he could be able to see without it. Perhaps then he would not feel as out of place. He glanced back at the house, "All it needs is a little bit of work."

"At least you're positive about it," Sam chuckled lugging an arm around the younger boy's shoulder, "That's all that's important little brother,"

"Little brother?!" Kyle said incredulous, but his face remained impassive as he shoved the other boy away from him, "You're only eight days older than me."

"Ahh," Sam tisked shaking his finger at him, "But your still eight days younger. That makes you the little brother in my book."

Kyle's mouth popped open in shock. He couldn't think of a comeback to that one and instead gave a little growl and leapt onto his brother. The older boy was more than happy to continue the mock fight as they twisted and turned around on the back seat. They tumbled around until Sam had twisted so much that he had kicked the driver's seat full on.

"Boys," Harry Colson snapped at them but his eyes caught theirs in the window and both boys comically froze where they lay, Sam halve way about to pull Kyle into a head lock and Kyle about to bite the arm that held him in a head lock, "No fighting in the car and Kyle no biting."

"Ya sir," they said quietly. The man's eyes softened slightly and he released the tight grip he had on the steering wheel.

"It's been a long drive, "Harry said after a moment, eyeing the house out the corner of his eyes, "I'm sure that all of you are tired from the drive and the flight over. Why don't you boys go take a look and pick out your rooms?"

Sam didn't have to be told twice. He threw open the door on his side and was in the house in the blink of an eye. Kyle waited a moment. The bravado he had felt a moment ago had left him and the uncertainty from before had recoiled around his gut. He forced his face back into it blank state and he warily fingered the straps of his bag as he eyed the house as if it was diseased through the visor on his face.

"It's not going to bite you know," Harry said encouragingly but ten sighed when he refused to move and inch from where he sat, "I know the move's been hard on you kiddo, but it's for the best ok?"

Kyle said nothing. He took one last deep breath and quietly threw open the door and stepped summer heat of Bellwood's streets. It was dry and while he had been though worse back in South Africa, at least there he had the humidity on his side. That wasn't a choice him here and he grimaced at the thought of dehydrating in the heat. There were other houses in the area, each as neat as the next and for all intents and purposes, normal. He sighed, it seemed he had been doing that a lot in the past few days since Harry had gotten the job offer for a company just a few blocks where they were staying. He didn't know about the sudden decision, but perhaps he could actually make some connections with people here.

A fresh start.

That he could agree with.

"Dude I found the biggest one and it's all mine now!" Sam said sticking his head out of the window.

He may have had a new chance, but first he had a brother to kill.

* * *

He and Sam had to share a room as it turned out. He was in their room, measuring out how he would build his tank without going over the divide line that separated his part of the room from Sam's when the doorbell in front rang. He froze and felt himself begin to shake. Sam and Harry had gone out to argue with the movers whom had managed to get their belongings to the wrong house and had left him to his own devices. The door rang again and Kyle closed his hands into fists.

' _I can do this,'_ he thought as he made his way to the front door, _'this isn't the Cape anymore, no one knows me and they don't know about my freakiness either.'_

He opened the rough wood door and was mutely surprised to see a middle-aged couple on the other side of it. The woman looked young with blond hair, well he thought it was blond but with his visor, it made it look like a pale orange instead, and blue eyes that widened in surprise when they laid themselves over his frame. The man stood taller than her and looked a little older than her with brown hair and bright green eyes which had widened much like his wife's. Kyle wasn't surprised in the least at the reaction. His leather jeans, black jacket, gloves, thick scarf and shaggy black hair would have made any person warily. Add in the red tinted visor that he wore as well as his blank expression and he knew they would be confused.

He cleared his throat and flicked his fingers to get rid of the last of his nervousness, "Hi."

A silence carried on, making him more uncomfortable until the woman seemed to pick up on it and she shook her head.

"Oh I'm so sorry," She said, "I'm Sandra Tennyson and this is my husband Carl. We live across the street from you."

"Thought we would come and welcome you to the neighborhood," Carl said with an uneasy smile that made Kyle want to flinch as though struck. It seemed that nothing changed no matter where he went.

He cleared his throat, "Nice to meet you Mr. and Mrs. Tennyson. My name's Kyle Summers. My guardian and brother are not home at the moment and I would invite you in but I'm afraid there's nowhere for you to sit."

He meant it sincerely, but his voice was flat and dry as a desert.

"It's alright son," Carl said pulling at his collar, "We just came over to say hello."

"Have you had any problems unpacking?" Sandra asked somewhat calmly. It surprised Kyle for a moment. She had a strange look on her face that he couldn't decipher. It was like seeing him was something she saw every day, "If you are I'm sure my son Ben would be glad to lend a hand. He's not here right now but when he comes home I can always send him your way."

The boy was sure that he looked rude to them as he simply stood frozen in shock at the woman's warm attitude. He felt his mouth start to drop and pulled them shut before they realized he really was a freak.

"We should be fine Mrs. Tennyson but thank you for the offer," He said politely. Harry would have had his butt if he learnt Kyle had been disrespectful and he refused to treat woman with anything less than respectful. He wasn't his step father,"I'm sure we can manage alright."

"Well if you're it would be no bother to lend a hand," Sandra said again when her husband would not move from his spot, "Feel free to drop by at our place anytime and welcome to Bellwood. In fact, why don't you and your family drop by tomorrow tonight and join us for dinner?"

He froze. Did she really just? No one had ever invited him to anything before. Couldn't she see that he was a freak by his clothes or the way he talked?

"Sure," he said numbly still in shock. He didn't take note of their departing words and stood at the door until the blond woman had managed to drag her nervous husband across the street to their own home across from them. He closed his door without a word and leaned back, sagging against it until he was sitting on the floor.

"Jesus," he said to the empty space of the place he was supposed to call home. Ironically, it was the same as the hollow feeling he felt in his soul and in the depths of his gut, "What the hell did I get myself into."

* * *

It was close to dark by the time Benjamin Tennyson had walked through the door of his parent's house. Rook had just left and he had taken a moment to watch the people moving furniture into the house across them before he had gone into the door, making sure to stay within his curfew. He may have been the barer of the legendry omnitrix and the hero and savor of the known universe as well as several others but what his mom said was still law. His father was sitting on the couch when he walked in with a strange look on his face.

"Guess we got new neighbors," He said once he was in his father's earshot. He became slightly concerned when his father got a deer in headlights look, "Hey dad you ok?"

"Yes son," he said staking his son's concerned hand off his shoulder, "Your mother invited the new neighbors over for a family dinner tomorrow night."

"A family dinner?" Ben groaned, "Sorry but me and Rook were going to have take away for supper."

"Nice try Benjamin Kirby Tennyson," his mother said when walking into the room. To that day he still wondered how she always managed to get the drop on him and his father, "But I want you to meet them, it would be good if they can have someone they know with them."

"I don't know honey there's something seriously wrong with that boy," His father said catching Ben's attention, "He was like some kind of robot, never once showed any emotion. I felt like I was talking to brick wall. Mark my words the boy is nothing but trouble."

"I don't think so Carl honey," she said as she set the table for the family to sit at, "Kyle looks like a good kid. He was very polite."

Ben felt really left out from the conversation, "Kyle?"

"One of the new neighbors," His mother explained, "He looks to be a little younger then you are."

"Except that you can't even see his eyes," The older Tennyson said sourly, "and he dresses like he belongs in a motor bike gang or something."

"I'm sure that he's just a normal kid that's going through a phase," his mom said, but Ben could see that she was having some doubts herself about the supposedly new neighbor, "Why I remember a time when little Ben here.."

"Oh come on mom," Ben chuckled nervously, "Not the stories."

"Alright then but no more of this talk about the boy being bad news," she said firmly to both males, "We don't know what that boy may or may not have gone though and until then let's not speculate what it is alright?"

They nodded, knowing better than to argue with her ad went on to sit at the dining room as this mother brought out the food for the evening. As he listened to his parents talking about their days, he glanced out the window. It faced towards the street where he could see the new house also beginning to settle in for the night. There was a light on in one of the upstairs rooms and the teen noticed a figure standing looking out of the window. He did not know why but something rubbed at him about it. There was something his mother had not told them and he wondered why she was so protective of this new kid.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey guys, ITS ME. Here's the second chapter of this fanfic. Before we go on I just want to point out that this story only has Ben as a side character and that the other main focus is coming up. you may start to notice the things about Kyle that stand up and i'll be interested in hearing you thoughts on the matter.**

 **Primes sparkling does not own Ben 10. it belongs to man of action. she only owns her OCs.**

* * *

 **Chapter 2**

The school was more daunting than he thought it would be, Kyle decided when his parents had dropped him and Sam at the front steps. It loomed over them and mocked him from where he stood, telling him he'd never fit in and to just give up. The building had even brought back up. He let Sam pull him on the sleeve of his jacket and pretended that the glaring gazes of the other children where only in the back of his mind. It hurt a little that they would judge him so quickly.

"Come on Kyle," Sam gave him a soft smile and gently pulled him to his side. He was genuinely grateful for his brother's presence and he gave the hand on his a gentle squeeze. They walked quietly inside the halls and Kyle made some observations to how different the schools were there. Back home they didn't have lockers and they didn't move around as much from class to class. Instead all their classes were taught in one room and the students kept their books in compartments under their desks. The new system was a little intimidating. Another tug on his sleeve made him walk a little faster, "We don't wanna be late."

"We aren't late Sam," Kyle murmured, careful not to let his mouth open too widely, "We're here aren't we."

"Dad said we gotta be in the home room when the bell rings," the other boy said and the vizored boy raised an eye beneath the glass that covered a large part of his face.

"Sam what the frack is a Home Room?" He asked but Sam never had a chance to answer him. A single and Longley drawn out bell was the only warning they had before a swarm of kids of all ages stormed into the building and ripped past them. Kyle's hand slipped from Sam's only for a moment and he could not see his brother over the any faces as he was swept away with the crowd.

"Sammie!" He screamed over the yells and voices of the other kids. He tried to push through the crowd to find his brother when a girl hip checked him and sent him to the floor. There were too many legs and too many feet. Every time he tried to get back up something hit him and sent him back to the floor. He could only hope that no one stepped on him. That would hurt. He saw a large kid walk his way when a hand crossed over his arm and pulled him out from the crowd.

"Hey you ok?" The kid that saved him was lanky and tall. He had dark hair that looked like it was in need of a bad haircut and wore a hoodie that supported some baseball team Kyle had never heard of.

"Ya," He murmured brushing off the dust from his arms and looked away shyly, "thank you."

"Don't thinks Ah've seen you around these parts," the boy said as he guided him away from the storming crowd, "You've got an accent too. Are you new?"

Kyle nodded and glanced up at the boy out the corner of his visor, "Yeah, we just moved here yesterday."

"We?" the boy asked

"My brother Sam and I," Kyle said softly, "I'm Kyle."

"Jake," Jake gave him a large smile but the way it pulled at the sides of his mouth made alarms go of in Kyle's head. It made him wary but he was so tired of being lost at the new school and just wanted someone to point the way, "You know where you're going?"

"I'm supposed to go to home room," He explained pulling out a crumpled paper from his pocket. The schedule was written in a hand written scrawl that the secretary had hurriedly used that morning and it took him a moment to decipher the writing, "Room 103."

"That's Mrs. Hawking's class," Jack chuckled, "She's my Home Room teacher too. You're only in seventh grade? You look like you should be in high school."

"I'm tall for my age," he shrugged, but inside was relieved. At least he wouldn't be lost anymore and since he and Sam were in the same class, they could meet up there, "I'm twelve."

"I'm thirteen," he said at the unspoken question as they walked briskly though the halls, "Mom enrolled me late."

Kyle gave him an emotionless stare and paused when they came up to the door of room 103.

Jake walked in and turned for a moment to face him, "Well I gotta get to my seat. Welcome to Bellwood High."

He stood stunned when he saw that Sam was already sitting at a desk until the teacher called his name to the front and he took a deep breath.

Things had gone well and it seemed that people were at least willing to tolerate him. That was until the lunch bell had rung. He had packed his own lunch as he had when he had gone to school back at the Cape and had been looking for a place to sit when he noticed the looks of disgust on the kids around him. One girl had even gone as far to pull her back pack off of the table and put it on the empty chair beside her to block his path. A stab of deeply slated pain struck him but his face remained the same neutral expression he had been wearing all morning as he looked around. He sighed, about to turn back when a hand clamped itself on his shoulder and pushed him to the floor.

"What's the matter? No one like you?" Jake said behind him and his eyes widened behind his visor. Kyle tried to get up when the other boy set a foot on his back, "No don't get up. Freaks like you belong on the ground."

"Why are you doing this?" Kyle asked sadly, voice still muffled because he refused to open his mouth very widely, "I thought we were friends."

"Friends? With you?" Jake laughed and lifted his leg to kick him when Sam rammed into the bully and threw his lunch onto him.

"You better leave my brother alone," he snarled. Kyle had no chance to say anything as his older brother picked him off the floor and pulled him out of the cafeteria.

He let the boy lead him to the bathroom where they cleaned up the mess on his clothes.

"You ok?" Sam asked when most of the food was off.

He nodded but said nothing and they went back to class without another word.

* * *

"Do we have to go?" Kyle asked as he adjusted his jacket and scarf to make sure it hid the material under it completely. The mirror had been one of the few things they had managed to pull out of the boxes since they had arrived the day before but the boy wished that it had been left covered up. At least then he wouldn't have to look at his freakish eyes or the slight budge his jaw had that made it push in front of his face instead of in line with it. It wouldn't have to keep reminding him how he would never fit in.

"You were the one that agreed to it," Harry said sticking his head into the room. He had neatened up from the usual pair of shorts that he wore and had put on a pair of clean jeans and the button up shirt Sam had gotten him for the previous Christmas. It seemed he still lacked the will to shave off the goatee he had been growing since they had begun the move.

"I panicked ok?" he said slightly upset and the smile on Harry's face fell slightly.

"Kyle..." he started when Sam walked up to him and put a hand on his shoulder.

"He didn't mean it like that Kyle," Sam said softly and the preteen forced himself to calm down with a deep breath, automatically drawing air through his nose and the sides of his neck. He could feel the water in his suit bubbling as it cycled over his skin.

"I know, I'm sorry," he said clearly but softly. There was no reason to hide his teeth from them, despite his fears, "I guess I'm still shaken about what happened at school."

"We've dealt with bullies before," Sam said firmly still gripping his shoulder tightly in comfort, "We'll do it again if we have to."

Kyle nodded and feeling ready they made their way out of the house towards where the Tennyson's lived for a night to get to know who they were living with.

* * *

"Do we really have to do this mom?" Ben asked stubbornly as they finished putting down the plates to the table. The teen was not really against the meeting, but he would have preferred to be at the plumber base where they were having a feast for all the plumbers that were on Earth and Ben had really been looking forward to hanging with Rook and watching the next game match of the evening.

Sandra scowled at her son, "Yes we are. They're new to the neighborhood and letting them know that they have at least one family giving some support will help them settle in. trust me."

"Can't we just tell them that?" Ben and his father both said at the same time as they turned towards Sandra in defiance, Ben because he wanted to hang out with the plumbers and Carl because he was wary of Kyle.

"No," she said firmly and perked up when the front door rang, "That must be Gwendolyn and Kevin."

"You invited Gwen?" Ben asked in shock as his father left the room to go let her in. He had not seen his cousin since she had left for collage and as far as he knew she was not supposed to be back home until the middle of winter. Then his eyes widened. He remembered the tone his mother had given them the night before when they had been speculating about the one boy in the new family, "Mom is this dinner about that boy form next door? What was his name? Kyle."

"I don't want to worry your father," she admitted when they heard the front door open.

"You think he's trouble?" he said fingering the omnitrix on his wrist. If that was the case he would have no problem taking out the kid should he be a threat to his family.

"No, that boy's been through a lot but I doubt that he's going to be trouble," she said with one of her secret smiles, one of the ones she used when she knew something most others didn't, "I made this dinner so that I could confirm something. Gwen is just here to lend me a hand."

"How do you know what he's been through?" He asked but his mother never got the chance to reply when Gwen walked into the dining room with Carl in tow.

"Dweeb," she said in greeting and hugged him.

"Dork," he smiled forgetting for a moment that she was only there on his mother's request, "What are you doing here?"

"Your mom asked me to diner," she relied seriously, "Kevin won't be able to make it, his work is keeping him tonight."

"He works?" Ben asked in surprise. Guess he judged the guy wrong.

His cousin nodded, "He got an apprenticeship with some space mechanics in under town. He seems to be enjoying it."

The stood for a moment processing the news when Carl not so subtly cleared his throat. Gwen took the cue as they looked around slightly, "So where is this new family?"

The ringing doorbell answered her and Ben gave a sigh as his mother went to answer it. Although his mother had assured him that the new people were not giving any problems he could not help feeling the itch under the omnitrix. He decided to get closer to the door. Hopefully it would help sooth his tense muscles if he saw them sooner.

"Oh hello you must be the summers," He heard his mother say. He rounded the corner just as the blond woman had moved to the side to let in the new strangers in town to their home.

"Actually it's Colson," the adult said. He was roughly the same height as his grandfather with dark chopped hair and near black eyes. The man had some stubble and he spoke with an accent that didn't sound like it came anywhere from America, "I'm Harry. This is my son Sam."

"Hi," Sam was a carbon copy of his father. His hair was the same dark shade but more longer and out of control and he had the same pale complexity as the older man. Even the bridge of his nose had the same kink in it as the older man. His eyes were grey, most likely from his mother and he wore a pair of jeans with a green shirt that looked as though it supported some sort of sport team but Ben wasn't sure. From what he could tell Sam looked to be around twelve or thirteen years old.

"And I believe you've met Kyle already," Harry said softly as the last person entered the house. He looked a bit odd to Ben and he saw how it could make his fatter slightly nervous. Kyle was taller than Sam by a good head which brought him to just under Ben's shoulders. He looked nothing like the other two. While both Harry and Sam had pale peach skin, Kyle's had a greyish under tone he was more used to seeing on Magister Patelliday. His hair was long and reached over the sides of his ears and he wore a pair of dark slacks, a thick black jacket and a pair of calf up boots. The strange red strapless visor completed the look.

His appearance didn't seem to faze his mother at all as reached to pluck to bowl of food the boy had been carrying.

"Hi Mrs. Tennyson," he had the same accent as the others but Ben had trouble deciphering what the boy said. His words were slightly slurred together like he murmured, "We didn't know what to bring along so we made some pasta salad."

"That's no problem Kyle," Sandra said hip checking the door closed, "Come in and make yourselves at home. I'd like for you to meet my son Ben and my niece Gwen."

Ben gave a cocky smirk but sighed when he felt the strange boy's gaze on him. It made him nervously move the arm with the omnitrix away behind his back as he reached out to shake hands with each of the new members.

"Hi there," He said, surprised when he noticed that Kyle also wore leather gloves as well, "What are you supposed to be? Some sort of biker?"

The boy was frowning at him, "Never actually rid a bike before, just like the way I dress I guess."

"So a wanna be Gangster then," Ben said getting annoyed.

"If that's how you want to make peace with it Hakuna Matata," Kyle shrugged and behind him Ben could hear Sam snickering.

"Hakuna Matata?" Ben asked raising an eyebrow.

"It means no worries, deewb or have you already forgotten Lion King," Gwen said waking up to them. She looked down at Kyle for a moment with a look on her face that Ben did not recognize but it seemed to make the younger boy tense up slightly. Then it softened into something of Awe, "Hi I'm Gwen."

"Kyle," He nodded then almost was thrown to the side when Sam knocked him out of the way.

"And I'm Sam my lady," He said boyishly taking her hand to kiss the back of it. Ben could not help but roll his eyes at the cheeky kid nor the chuckle when he got an embarrassed grunt for his efforts.

"Yeah hi," Gwen looked slightly awkward, "why don't we sit down and eat before the food gets cold?"

Everyone nodded chuckling when both Sam and Kyle's stomachs let out rumbles in agreement and toughly embarrassed both of them. They shuffled to the table without a word.

* * *

The food was good, Kyle had to admit it. He had constantly heard about the junk food the Americans always heard so imagine his surprise when they were served some type of tofu that tasted better than it smelled. The same could not be said for the atmosphere. Mr. Tennyson was still tense with him in the room and almost no one had said a word since the meal had begun. It wasn't until Gwen had spoken that some of it had broken. They spoke of a lot of things, well Sam and Harry did. He sort of just sat in the back ground. Things like where they came from and what different things their kids did when they were younger. He could not help but wince when Harry requited the tale of when he was six years old and decided to no longer wear pants because he wanted to feel free. Sam had burst out laughing until it had been his turn and the tale had sent him into a fit of snickers. After the meal, everyone had retreated to the den to continue their conversations when Ben had disappeared into one of the rooms. Kyle had just been returning from the bath room when he overheard the older teen in his room and decided to pause outside.

"Mom made me have dinner with the new neighbors," He could see ben partially through the slight slit in the ajar door.

"Is that bad?" The new voice said surprised. The unknown male had an accent Kyle just could not place.

"Not really, just one of the kids is really strange," That one hurt, even if it was coming from Ben.

"Strange How?" the voice asked again

"We had dinner Rook and each time he took a bite of food he ducked his head like he didn't want us to see him eating, and that's just to name one thing," Ben said, "I gotta go before my mom looks for me."

Kyle didn't stay long enough to hear the rest of the conversation between Ben and this Rook character. His guardian gave him a strange look when he entered but he shook his head and quietly excused himself for the evening. It wasn't until he had managed to get himself back into his room when he felt the first bouts of stress begin to top over. He pushed it down, stripped and got into his tank praying that the next day would be better than the last.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Primes sparkling does not own Ben 10 or any of the characters in Ben 10. She only owns her characters and story.

Rated T for swearing

* * *

CHAPTER 3

* * *

Things didn't get better over the next three days. In fact at school it got worse. Sam had already been invited to join several of the clubs and as such he had not really had the same time to hang out with him as they used to. Sure outside it seemed they were joint at the hip but that was not where Kyle really needed him. Inside school, Jake had managed to make his life a living hell. No one wanted to talk to him and those that did mocked him. He did not want this as each day he kept quiet and retreated back into himself. He knew that Harry was starting to worry. The bell for the end of the school day had just rung when Kyle had just gotten his homework out of his locker when he had heard Peter come down the hall. Peter was in the eighth grade but two years older than Kyle. He hanged out with Jake a lot and Kyle gave a sharp breath. He pulled at the first class room door in hopes that it was still unlocked not wanting a confrontation with the other boy. It was locked and he let out a low keen as he heard Jake come closer. Kyle turned and began walking the other direction to the other voices when the Hispanic teen noticed him rounding the corner.

"Hey it's the freak!" Peter laughed to his friends behind him in mocking then called out to him, "Hey Loser come back here."

Kyle took off, zipping down the first corridor that came to him. He heard Peter and his group of followers chasing after him and in an act of desperation he turned into a side of the school he had not yet been in. The school itself was far larger than the one he had been in in the Cape and had been built in such a way that most of rooms for the various sports and clubs were kept separate from the rest of the school. That was the area he now found himself in and he hadn't bothered to check it out as no one had invited him to join anything. He cursed that fact now.

"Who said you can run freak?!" Jake yelled as he came out of the doors leading to the lockers where the football players changed. Kyle could smell the stench of the cheap deodorant the boy's used, so sharp it made him want to gag. Now that Jake was part of the group chasing him, Kyle began to panic. The boy was faster than him and he knew it. He ducked into a bare corridor and into the first open door way he could find, pausing with a racing heart as he watched the bullies run passed through the slight opening.

"Come on I think he went this way," Jake yelled voice fading into the distance until Kyle could no longer hear them speaking. The twelve year old sighed in relief. Glad to be away from the danger, he finally calmed enough to notice just how humid the hall he was in was. He could hear water moving and it wasn't until he turned around that he realized why. It was a swimming hall and the waters were blue and clear. They looked absolutely divine. A sudden pang of home sickness hit him and he took a deep breath as he slowly walked closer to the pool. It was technically two pools that had been separated by a rope. One held a deep pool with a diving board, the other was for racing. There was no one in the hall and he licked his lips as he watched the current in the pool. He could hear the pumps working close by and he crouched contemplating his next move.

' _Go on_ ,' His conscious whispered tantalizingly, ' _it will only be for a moment. No one will have to know.'_

"I could get caught," He whispered back harshly even as he pulled off a glove to dip a single finger into the water. It was cool but not cold to the touch and he silently purred. While his tank was good enough to sleep in, Kyle longed for the chance to take to the ocean like he had in South Africa and just stretch out his limbs.

' _It would only be for a moment_ ,' the voice said insistently, ' _Imagine it. Imagine how fast you could go for a change.'_

He did. Kyle hesitated for a moment. He would have to hide in the gymnasium for a while before Jake and Peter would give up their search and let him leave for the day and there was no one in the room to see him and point fingers. The boy gnawed on the inside of his cheek in contemplation, looked up to check that again that no one had come in and shyly dropped his backpack onto the floor. His scarf, gloves, jacket and shoes soon followed. He left his visor and jeans on as well as the white vest he had on under the leather jacket. Without his scarf and top, the strange looking suit he wore under became visible. It was black and skin tight like a wet suit covering everywhere until under his jaw line and the back of his neck there the skull met with his spine. Across the neck, two semi thick tubes sat with transparent water running through them. They were joint at a point in the middle that looked like a small component that was often seen on a diver's suit. He longed to take it off but he was already risking enough as it was and it would take too long to put back on if he had to make a quick getaway.

He drew in a deep breath through the contraption on his neck, stepped on the raised platform and without another thought, leapt with a perfect dive into the water. It was like coming home. His arms and legs worked feverously and he made it to the other side without any problems, spinning under the water with practiced ease to rebound off of the wall and go the other way. The moment of the water on his face was divine and he longed to just pull off the visor and the suit and let it fall over them but he hang on. He did several laps, each one with a different style until he had gone through them all. Then satisfied he went again with a lap in the way he was most comfortable with, legs crossed at the ankles and arms at his side. The movements were much like that of a dolphin and despite the awkwardness that most human bones would offer it was the fastest way for him to swim.

It wasn't until he decided to finally climb out of the pool when things had gone wrong. He had managed to pull his gloves back onto his hands, wincing when the leather scraped against the sensitive flesh when he heard someone clapping and spun around in horror.

"Holy shit," The kid that stared at him looked to be around his age. He was perhaps slightly taller than Sam with a lean body and ginger hair that was cut short. He reminded Kyle of a younger version of Johnny from Hotel Transylvania. Later on, he would be wondering where a thought like that came from when the boy had most likely seen what he had been doing. And seen some of the freaky things about him, "You're a really good swimmer. I've never seen anyone go so fast before."

Kyle paused, halfway grabbing his back pack and boots as he stared at the teen before him, "What?"

"You're swimming," The newcomer repeated, "It's good."

"Thanks I guess," Kyle ducked his head, sitting down to quickly slide his feet back into his shoes.

"I'm Cody," The boy said again coming to sit next to him, "You're that new kid, Kyle, right?"

Kyle just nodded, uncertain of what to make of the new boy. His previous meeting with Jake came to mind and he quietly winced under the neutral expression he kept on his face.

"You should try out," Cody said suddenly. It was so out of the blue that Kyle actually froze, one foot in the air as he tried to pull the shoe over his toes.

"Huh?!" he gasped.

"For the team," Cody shrugged, "There's a tryout in two months for the swim team. You should go."

"Me join the team?" Kyle asked. His mind flashed back to his old school. They had a swimming team that he had been a part of. It had been the only place aside from home with the Coulson's where he had felt welcome, despite the restraints that he had to swim with when he compete to make it fair with the other kids, but he knew nothing about how the people would treat him there, "Not a good idea."

"How come?" Cody asked. He eyed Kyle's feet and with a gentle finger reached out and touched one of the toes before the visor boy could stop him, "Is it because of this?"

Kyle shot up like he had been electrocuted; staring at the teen in disbelief before he centered himself again, "Part of it."

"Were you born like that?" Cody asked again. His eyes alit with an understanding and when Kyle nodded he stuck a hand onto his shoulder, "Then they shouldn't pick on you for it. You can't help the way you're born."

"You," Kyle said when he had stuck his feet back into his boots, ignoring the sting of his feet being crushed in a shape it would never fit, "You actually get it. Even Sam sometimes doesn't."

"I used to be like Jake to," Cody admitted quietly sobering a little. He twitched slightly and Kyle's eyes widened, "But that was before Dad found me and took me in."

"Who was it?" Kyle asked in a near whisper. For once there were no alarms going off in his head. Instead he felt a sense of kinship connecting them. He did not know what Cody had gone through but he knew of the problems that came after.

"My father," Cody rolled up his sleeve to show the long haggard scar that ran across the underside of his arm like it had been caused by a piece of glass.

Kyle's eyes widened, "But you said your dad.."

"I'm adopted," Cody said understandingly and Kyle nodded, "Dad's great and he's never hurt me. Who was it for you?"

Kyle got up from the bench. His watch beeped, reminding him that he would need to leave if he wanted to get to the bus in time, otherwise he would have to walk which did not sound appealing in the heat.

"My step dad," He murmured touching the thin scar that ran across his lips and gave him a ragged look. He could still remember the smell of sweat and booze on the man's hand when it connected with his mouth, the ring on his third finger slicing the skin like butter, "Harry got me out. He was a friend of my ma. I need to go or I'm gonna miss my bus."

"See you tomorrow?" Cody asked hopefully and Kyle nodded, unable to turn down the want in the boy's eyes.

"See you tomorrow,"

* * *

He missed the bus. The heat had yet to give up and he could feel its effects as it made him feel weakened. Kyle had forgotten his extra water bottles in his locker and he decided to call Harry to pick him up. He would not be able to make it home through the heat. He was busy dialing the number when a hand snatched out and grabbed his arm and pulled his cellphone clean form his hands.

Another hand shoved him against his back and sent him onto the floor.

"Think you could get away Freak?" Jake was leaning over him. The older teen shifted and a flash of sunlight temporally blinded Kyle and suddenly it was an older man looming over him, potbelly and reeking of beer. A kick to his ribs startled him out of his memory and he looked up to see Peter smirking evilly down at him, holding his phone in his hand.

"What's the matter freak? Nowhere to run?" He purred and swung his leg backwards to kick him again. What little bit of training Kyle had kicked in. He quickly rolled onto his back, swung his legs over his head and used the momentum to get back to his feet. The maneuver let him dodge the attack but the sudden swing caused his head to spin and Jake took the opportunity to slam a fist into his stomach, causing Kyle to cripple back onto the floor. A moment later he heard a crunch and his phone followed him in pieces, but he refused to let anything slip past his carefully shielded expression, despite the fear he felt.

"I heard he's some kind of foster kid," One of the other boys in Jake's group, likely one of the twins, crooned mockingly, "Even his mommy doesn't want him."

"I say his folks did the right thing," Jake said kicking Kyle when he tried to get back onto his feet. He rested a foot at the base of the downed boy's back, unknowingly pressing on a sensitive spot that made him want to whimper, "If my child was such a freak that couldn't even talk right I'd have killed them."

"So you would kill an innocent child instead of manning up and taking responsibility for something you created?" Kyle asked weakly. His suit let him stay out of the water for long periods of time but even then it only lasted for a certain amount of time before he had to refresh his supplies. It was running low and the heat wave was making things difficult for him.

"I'd give it back to the whore that bore it," Jake said arrogantly.

Despite his weakened state, Kyle could not help but give a bark of muffled laughter.

"What's so funny loser?!" Peter snapped and Kyle emotionlessly tilted his head to look at them.

"He says that he would give the child back to the so called whore," He chided, "That would make you her bitch because you married it knowing she's a whore."

Jake' face went up burning red. The next moment there were stars in front of Kyle's eyes from the kick to his jaw. A second later another one connected into his neck and he faintly heard a crack before he felt his jacket become wet on the inside with the fluid that had been kept in his suit. He could hear laughing from the bullies as they tore at his clothes, taking away his backpack to claim as their own. They struggled with his boots and jeans which were still wet from his swim when the hands that grabbed at him suddenly disappeared. There were a couple of shouts of pain and the sound of feet running away as Kyle laid on his stomach, struggling to breath.

"Hey you alright fella?" A male voice with a heavy southern accent asked above him. He felt two hands gently grab his shoulders and turn him on his back and his eyes widened when his rescuer's face came into view, "Looks like ya took a beaten."

The yellowish pale male was some kind of humanoid cross between a fish and a human. He wore some kind of white suit that stopped at the waist and his neck was open where a couple of gills sat. The lure on his head drew attention to his face and the sharp teeth that he had just behind his lips. A pair of glasses sat on his muzzle but what really drew Kyle's attention were the man's pale purple eyes that stared down at him in concern.

"Fella?" The fish creature said again. Kyle realized that he was hyperventilating. The water in his suit was all but gone and the heat didn't help him any as he realized he was hyperventilating, "Easy now you're gonna be just fine."

"Who are you?" He murmured in question, still careful of how much teeth he showed, as he pushed out of the man's gentle grip.

"Ah'm Magister Patelliday," Patelliday said with a slight smirk and flashed his teeth, "You need to calm down rookie."

Kyle felt frustration build up. Calm down?

"I am calm," He snapped monotone.

Patelliday shook his head and helped him to his feet, "Sure don't sound like it son. Just take deep breaths."

"I said I was fine," Kyle picked his bag off of the floor and shook of the dust from his clothing, "Thanks for the save, but there's no reason for you to stick around."

He turned around, trying to leave before the fish could rebut him and promptly fell back onto his knees when the slits on his neck could no longer draw the oxygen he needed.

"Looks like there's reason after all," The hands were back on him and he flinched as though he expected to be struck. If the stranger took any notice of it, he didn't mention it.

"I'm fine," Kyle gasped, "the heat just got to me that's all."

"In that case let me give ya a ride home," Patelliday lifted him onto his feet but Kyle could no longer walk on his own. The man let him lean on him as he led him to a strangely armored vehicle. It wasn't until he had opened the door that Kyle somewhat came to his senses and began to fight back, "What's wrong?"

"Why the hell would I get in a car with you?" Kyle said slipping out of the man's grip, "I don't even know you. For all I know you could be some wacko child kidnapper."

"I an't," Patelliday said firmly, "But the way I see it, ya can either catch a ride home with me or yo can suffer from the heat. I ain't gonna force ya."

Kyle stared for a while, then huffed and climbed into the passenger seat with Patelliday's help. He settled himself in gasping what little air his body could pull without water and strapped himself in as the other being got into the driver's seat.

"Water?" Kyle was offered a bottle and he took it with a grateful shaky gasp. The first two sips he gulped, and then discreetly let the water run down the side of his cheek Patelliday could not see. It drippled down into his collar and he let out a soft sigh when he could breathe slightly better. It would not last long but it helped. It wasn't until the bottle was finished that he realized Patelliday had been watching him.

"Must have been real thirsty," Patelliday chuckled, "Where do ya live fella?"

Kyle told him, still murmuring but at least he was no longer gasping his words out like he'd been in a desert.

The fish man seemed surprised, "You live right across from Ben Tennyson. You must be that new neighbor he's been going on about."

"You know Ben?" Kyle asked quietly, drawing deep breaths to calm his heart rates down.

"I work with his grandfather," Patelliday explained pulling into the road. It was quiet and the man had put on the air-con as high as it would go to help them both cool down, something Kyle felt soothing after his experience in the heat, "You must be the new neighbor ben was talking about. Never seen you around before."

Kyle nodded slowly, "Yeah, we just got in a couple of days ago."

He paused for a moment to take in the man's strange appearance, "Exactly what are you?"

"I'm a Plumber," Magister Patelliday replied with a short glance at his passenger, "But if you're referring to what I am, I'm a Piscciss Volann."

"You're an Alien?," Kyle admitted, "I'm guessing the Plumber you're talking about isn't the one that fixes taps. Magister, it sounds more like a title."

"A sharp one," Patelliday noted with a nod. He then slowly explained what the Plumbers were and what they did; giving Kyle some time to process the facts and Kyle nodded at the explanation. He had started to relax around the stranger, despite only having known him for a few moments. It was different to what he had felt with Cody. With the boy, he had felt a sense of Kinship because of the way each of them had been raised, but Patelliday brought about feelings he could not just put his finger on.

"Hey fella," Patelliday asked when they had stopped outside of his house. There was movement in one of the upstairs bedrooms which told Kyle that Sam was home, "Why did those no good hooligans go after ya?"

Kyle shifted uncomfortably and glanced out of the window, refusing to make contact with the alien.

"They don't like me 'cause I'm different from them," He said eventually, "I have to wear this visor for health reasons and they're jealous that they can't wear their fancy glasses in class."

"That ain't right," Patelliday said solemnly, "Well they shouldn't bother you for a while now fella. An I got you home nice and safe. How's that for a kidnapper?"

"I guess you're right," He said still monotone," You'd make a horrible kidnapper. Thanks for the save. And the lift."

"Not a problem," Patalliday said with a toothy smile, but paused when Kyle got out of the truck, "Never did get you name fella."

Kyle passed as he slugged his back pack over one shoulder, "It's Kyle. Kyle Summers."

"Well then it's been nice meeting you Kyle," The magester smiled and once Kyle had closed the door pulled his car into reverse. Kyle watched him drive away for a moment before he turned on his heal and walked into the house, mind heavy on the man he had just met and the way his pale eyes ate at something in him.

* * *

Translation (Afrikaans to English):

 **Ma - mom**


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: Hey everyone. So things have been hectic this side and I had some trouble diciding how I wanted this story to go, hence the long wait. Hope to hear your thoughts on the story.**

 **Disclamer: Primes sparkling does not own Bed 10 or any of its trade mark characters.**

* * *

 **CHAPTER 4**

True to Patelliday's word, the Jake and his crew had not stepped foot within Kyle direction the next day. Instead they watched him in disgust from afar. It should have felt like a blessing to have been given such a chance to recover from everything that had happened, but instead his mind was in constant turmoil. Kyle spent the majority of the time thinking about Patelliday and how the male was similar to him. It was a long and boring day.

The first sign of action came the day after. It was a Saturday and Kyle and Sam had decided to spend it exploring the city for once. School had made it difficult to do before but now that it was weekend Harry had let go of the leashes a little and let them out on their own. The town was surprisingly larger than they had thought and it wasn't long before they had stopped outside a restaurant to catch their breaths and get out of the sun.

"Mr. Smoothie?" Sam asked with a raised brow, "Think it's like a Star Bucks?"

"No clue," Kyle said quietly. They ordered some drinks and had sat down at a shaded table when Kyle noticed Jake standing across the street. He returned the depressing stare the other teen gave him through his visor warily, remembering the dark look the bully had been giving him all week.

"Don't let it get to you," Sam said in his ear and sipped his smoothie with a wave of confidence Kyle could only dream of achieving, "If he gives any trouble I'll kick his _gat_."*

"You'll kick whose what?" Kyle whirled around and noticed Ben walking up to them with his own smoothie in hand. His silent partner drew their attention and Kyle saw Sam's mouth drop open in shock. The male was covered in deep blue fur with black patterns over his face and arms. His chest, legs and arms were covered in a strange armor and his nose was flat and feline like. The guy looked like a walking cat.

"This place gets weirder and weirder by the day," Kyle murmured.

"Nice to see you to," Ben purred sitting down. His strange friend followed suit, "This is Rook. Rook these are my neighbors Sam and Kyle."

"It is good to finally meet you," Rook said with a small nod, "Ben has been telling me about you all week."

Kyle's eyebrow raised and he saw Sam give a mischievous smirk and bend his head down to take a long slurp of his smoothie as Ben spluttered and gave his partner a dirty glare.

"Really now?" Sam purred with a raised brow and Ben shook his arms in the air, "What things did he say?"

"Nothing," Ben burst but his eyes flickered nervously and belittled his statement, "I just told him that someone finally moved into old winter's house."

"That is not entirely true," Rook said and Sam snickered. Kyle's other eyebrow raised to join the first in his hair line. Was this guy for real?

"Yes it is," Ben said desperately, "Rook you're supposed to back me up here."

"Back you up?" The blue male asked, "From what? We are not under attack."

Sam's snickers grew until he was in a full out laugh and caused Ben to switch his glare to him. It only made the pre-teen laugh harder.

"Not the point," Ben grouched, "What was that word you said anyway? It didn't sound English."

Kyle jumped at the sudden change in subject and it drew Sam out of his chuckles.

"I admit, I am curious as well," Rook said with a tilt to his head, "You also have a strange accent."

"They're from Africa," Ben groused before either boy could answer, "Remember? Desert place with lions and stuff."

He got a sour look form both boys for that.

"Firstly, you talk weird," Kyle murmured nodding his head at Rook, "So you have no grounds calling our accents weird."

"And secondly," Sam grinned, "If you think us South Africans are barbarians, think again. We actually have a lot of different cities and all dangerous animals are either in zoos or wildlife farms which are far away from people."

"Still a part of Africa," Ben said curiously, "So it's an African accent."

Kyle shook his head, "We have an Afrikaans accent which not the same thing."

"In South Africa alone there are eleven official languages including English," Sam nodded his head, acting more mature than Ben had ever seen him, "And each language has two or three accents that can come from it."

"Like how someone can have a British accent or a Brooklyn accent but both speak English," Kyle explained.

"I see," Rook nodded his head.

"So what do you guys do for fun around here?" Sam asked wanting to get off of the topic of their home land, and away from the pang of longing they felt whenever it was mentioned. Kyle agreed as a sharp undesirable pain of loss froze his chest.

"Hang out, fight alien bad guys, explore the universe," Ben listed with a smirk. Kyle felt a dark desire to smack his perfect teeth in and took a sip of his smoothie to force himself to calm down.

Sam started short at that, "Fight aliens?"

"Yeah, Ben Tennyson, savoir of the universe?" Ben gloated, "Bearer of the omnitrix? Sound familiar?"

"Nope," Kyle replied, "What the heck is an omnitrix?"

"This," Ben showed them the watch that had been strapped onto his wrist, "It allows me to transform into different aliens with different abilities."

"Wait let me get this straight," Sam spluttered still sitting with his mouth agape, "You fight against actual aliens, like the ones that come from space? They exist?"

"Yeah," Ben nodded, "You're sitting right next to one."

"You're an alien?" Sam asked in a near whisper. His face had gone a pale color that nearly matched Kyle's and his eyes had widened comically until his was gaping, pupils flashing from side to side as he glanced at Ben and then Rook.

"Yes, I am from the planet Revonnah," Rook said proudly but his smile fell away when he noticed Sam's blank look, "Are you alright?"

"He's fine," Kyle said monotone. He reached into the older boy's back pack, drew out one of his water bottles and with a flick of the wrist sent its contents over his brother's head. Sam spluttered like he had been electrocuted and glared at Kyle through the streams of water that ran over his head.

"What the heck was that for?!" Sam screeched.

"You looked like a fish," Kyle replied with a straight face, "And you owe me thirty, I told you they existed."

"They don't have aliens where you came from?" Ben asked with a raised brow. The young super hero never got a reply. An explosion ripped through the air, knocking all four as well as the other people around them to the floor with the shock waves.

"What the hell was that?" Kyle said through gripped teeth. He pushed himself up onto his hunches, grateful for once for his suit as he heard the people around him cough from the smoke.

"The explosion seemed to have come from across the street," Rook said. The smoke began to clear away and Kyle frowned with a hand on a coughing Sam's back, when he noticed some large figures standing in the mist of the aforementioned building.

"Is that a chicken?" Sam asked through his coughing.

"It's Liam," Ben snapped fiddling with the omnitrix as he coughed. It lit up in a green color and flashed a slide with different figures on it, "What's he doing robbing banks here? Chicken Little usually stays in Under Town."

"Hello humoungesour!" He chose a figure and slamming his hand down on the button.

His transformation was unlike anything Kyle had ever seen. A glow lit up around his body, encasing it in a shining ember. Thin veins arched, became thicker and ran up his arms to his face, causing the teen to twitch and spasm. Fur came out from the skin, hands twisting to form claws and Ben's clothing disappeared. All of it in the matter of a few seconds. When the glow disappeared, Ben had been replaced by a bipedal tiger. He gave a roar and then looked down at himself.

"Rath?" He screamed in anger, "Rath didn't want Rath. When Rath finds Asmith, Rath is going to beat him into a pulp."

"Ben Liam is getting away," Rook snapped pulling the tool over his shoulder into his hands. He gave Kyle and Sam a quick glance, "You two, find someplace safe and stay there."

"Let me tell you something awkward alien partner," Ben growled waving a finger, "Rath doesn't like it when people tell Rath what to do. And he especially doesn't like it when over grown chickens steal from under Rath's nose!"

He left into the fray, jumping across the street in an impressive jump and left onto the alien criminal. Rook shot at the second figures that came out of the buildings. Kyle felt shocked and it took Sam tugging harshly on his jacket sleeve to get him moving. They ran out towards the side, going in the opposite direction of the people that had been sitting around them. That was they're wrong doing. They had not taken many steps when a large figure had landed in front of them, cracking the concert beneath their feet and sent them falling backwards. The freaky glass domed alien picked up Sam with a grunt holding some sort of rifle at his head. Kyle's eyes widened behind his visor before they narrowed into deadly slits, despite his facial expression never once changing.

"Looks like I got me a hostage," the domed creature drawled and Kyle snarled at him. He didn't even think about the consequences as he leapt onto the thief. His jaw found itself opening wide to reveal the long sharp and extremely inhuman teeth he had for a moment as the criminal gave a surprised shout, before they pierced through the suit the being wore and crushed the skin on its shoulder. The domed creature gave a pained scream and dropped both Sam and the rifle he had been holding, but Kyle did not let go. A nauseous feeling ripped through him at the strange metallic taste of the being's blood entered his mouth and his throat burned when he inhaled the steam of gases that came out of the suit.

"Let go you creatin!" The creature screamed and with a large hand wrapped around his middle, pulled Kyle off of him and three him across the restaurant space. His breath was knocked out of him when he finally smacked against the wall to the entrance of Mr. Smoothie. He heard his brother scream for him faintly over the sounds of the fighting in the back ground and his breath in his ears. Kyle glanced upwards, seeing the battle but not understanding what was going on. Hands grabbed at his sides and turned him on his back, sending a sharp pain down his sides. He looked up seeing Sam screaming above him, but could not make out what was being said. The only thing he had was the gasping in his chest up in his ears. He realized that he could not breathe.

"Le…KYLE!" Sam pleaded shaking him.

"Kyle, Sam are you hurt?" Rook asked as he leapt into the air and kicked the dome headed creature that had hurt him.

"Kyle," Sam said. There were tears in his older brother's eyes. Sam didn't cry, he didn't and hadn't since his mom had died. And it hurt that Kyle that he was responsible for it. Kyle grits his teeth, ignoring the vulgar taste in his mouth.

"Sam I'm alright," He whispered slowly sitting up.

"Kyle?" Sam asked then smacked his brother over his head, ignoring the wince the other boy gave from the action, "You idiot, I thought you were dead."

"Let me tell you something lowlifes, Rath don't like it when lowlife hurt Rath's weird new neighbors," Ben roared becoming extremely angry. He smashed a hand onto the chicken's head harshly, breaking through the defensive stance the thief had and knocking him out. The tiger like alien then turned and ran for the domed head alien and leapt on him. The creature didn't even stand a chance as Rath smacked him hard enough to break his arm and knock him unconscious as well.

For a moment everyone froze and seeing what would happen to them, the rest of the burglars were quick to drop their weapons and surrender. Sam helped Kyle to his feet as Ben's omnitrix began to time out and returned him to his human form, while Rook slapped handcuffs onto the thieves.

"You two alright," Ben asked but his face blanched when he saw Kyle. The vizorded boy did not blame him. The foul tasting green blood was running from his mouth and covering his chin giving him a crazed and monstrous look that frightened him.

"I'm fine," Kyle eased out through clenched teeth but his words were contradicted as he learnt more heavily against his brother.  
Ben didn't seem to believe him but the older teen let the incident slide with a shrug, "What happened anyway to make him throw you like that and why do you have blood on your mouth? All I saw were you laying in a heap after Sam started screaming"  
Kyle considered what he should tell him but there was a sickening Buzz at the back of his skull and his vision started to wobble after the gas he had breathed in had burnt his throat.

"WE just had a bit of a disagreement that's all," Kyle answered but he had gone be pale in the face. Well paler than he had ever been. Something in his stomach garbled uncomfortably and the next month he was on his knees bringing up the lunch he had eaten that day as well as the breakfast on the side walk.

"Kyle!" Sam was gripping his shoulders and held him up once he had stopped to prevent him from falling into the mess.

"Here," Rook pushed a mask over his nose. It sealed shut on the skin on his face and started to let out a stream of strangely smelling air. There was no way to describe the smell but it made Kyle's head stop spinning and the clenching in his stomach to pause.

"You must have inhaled some of the air that fills the thief's suit. They require an atmosphere that is toxic to humans to survive."

"Danke," Kyle coughed unworried as the mask shielded his teeth from view.  
He got two confused looks from the Bellwood members.

"It means thank you," Sam explained helping the other boy back onto his feet again and they handed Rook back his mask once the teen was able to breath enough to mask his pain. Kyle could feel that at least one of his ribs had been fractured and a couple had been strained.

"We should be fine now," Kyle murmured and Ben gave him an offhand stare in concern but let it go when a ship flew down and landed in front of them. Some people dressed in the same gear Magister Patelliday had worn the day Kyle had met him walked down the ramp and began to load up the criminals that had caused all of the trouble.

'Those must be the Plumbers then,' Kyle thought dimly. He nudged his brother with his shoulder to get him moving and Sam quickly excused them, feigning a need to rest and recover from what happened. The two partners were busy helping the newly arrived members and could not stop the two pre-teens from leaving. They consented but looked concerned as Sam helped Kyle down the street which confused Kyle a lot. Why did they care?  
It took them a while to get back home in the heat, where a panicking Harry had met them by the door. Kyle had taken one unstable foot in to the door when he felt an urge to look behind him. He half twisted and could not help the Sharp increase in his breath when he saw Jake standing blank faces across the street and staring straight at him. Kyle remembered that the older bully had been at Mr. Smoothie when the attack had taken place. He must have followed them back and Kyle could not help but worry, even with the pain in his ribs. Just how much had the bully seen?

* * *

"I hope that what you say is true. We don't take misleaders kindly. "

If Jake was afraid he didn't let it show. He didn't really know who these people were. His contact had told him they were the best bet he had despite the gut chilling weight in his gut.  
He took a deep breath, "I'm telling you the truth. The kids a freak. I saw it myself. He tore into this thing like it was a strip of bacon. What if he does it to normal people?"

He could not see he man he was talking to. The figure stood almost fully in the shadow of the dark alley way they had to meet in. The only part of him that Jake could make out was the gleaming edge of the metal spear that the man held.

The figure shifted and spoke in a gravely tone, "Very well. We will see just how truthful you are in time. Pray that what you say is true or it will not be a monster's blood that is spilt."

Jake gulped and the next moment the gleaming spear he had seen had disappeared and along with it the strange man he had been talking to. He peered in the darkness, uncertain if the cold weight in his stomach was from the fear the man had put in him or the guilt.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: Prime's sparkling does not own Ben 10. Ben 10 belongs to man of action. She only owns her characters and plot.**

* * *

 **CHAPTER 5**

* * *

His ribs were hurting and the shirt he had decided to wear to cover the bruises was itching too much to let him sleep. He had kept it quiet, not wanting to worry his guardian and had been compliant to watch him instead fuss over his son from his tank. Kyle felt frustrated. He could not help but struggle to breathe a little. He twisted slowly as to not aggravate his ribs and let out a low keen when he checked the time on the clock he had placed on the wall shelf facing his tank.

 _ **1 A.M**_

He groaned, sucked in a breath of fresh water through his gills and decided he wanted a snack to eat. Perhaps it would distract him from the pain. It took some time for him to climb out of the tank, care full as to not wake his brother sleeping in his own bed across from him before he painfully and out of breath shuffled out of the door and down the stairs towards the kitchen. The sounds of his out of breath wheezing and the occasional curse when he bumped into the numerous boxes that still lined the passages broke through the silence in the house and he let out a sigh of relief when his fingertips finally grazed the door to the fridge. He tensed his arm to pull he door open when he suddenly froze. He paused uncertain of what had awoken him and flared the gills on his neck, drawing in the air around him. A strange taste entered his mouth like someone had sprayed a bottle of sweat and deodorant into his mouth. He didn't recognize the spray and as far as he knew everyone in his family showered at night. His eyes widened and he whirled around, instantly regretting the action when a spike of pain shot up his side. A glowing blade met inches from his face and he froze at the sight of a man dressed in knight amour. Dark eyes glared at him through the face grating.

"Demon attained," he said lowering the blade to where Kyle's gills sat, "pieces type unknown."

Kyle blinked. He saw the broken front door over the man's shoulder slam shut. It drew his assailant's attention. Kyle saw his chance. Despite the burning and pain of his chest he swung out, feeling the adrenalin run through his frame and knocked the spear from the knight's hands. It fell across the room, knocked into a vase Harry had gotten on a vacation to Egypt and sent it tumbling to the floor.

"SAM, HARRY!" He screamed weakly knocking the intruder away from him. He ran out of the man's reach and heard doors upstairs being ripped open by his family members. A hand grabbed him at the ankles and he fell, ripping another scream from his throat as the move jarred his ribs.

"Kyle!" Harry appeared at the end of the hall looking disheveled just as the windows surrounding the front of the house gave in and more of the knight's came tearing into the house.

"Let go of me!" Kyle screamed at the one holding on to him. The man refused to answer or comply with his demands and Kyle had enough. He reached out his open door and kicked the man upside the head, ignoring the pain it sent up his leg. The sharp gauntlets on his helmet tore some of the webbing between Kyle's toes but he didn't even feel it. He jumped to his feet before panicking and holding his throat as his air ways closed completely. He couldn't breathe! He heard the man try to reach for him and Sam scream when he was grabbed by one of the knight's that had come through the window. A crash sounded behind him and suddenly there were hands on his skin. Large hands scared by years of cage fighting that he knew. Harry hauled him by the back if the shirt that he wore and began to make quick work of tugging him up the stairs as he struggled to breath.

"Just hang on son," Harry pleaded as his vision began to blur. He saw some blurred figures that he guessed were his brother fighting off the intruders and the one that had attacked him lying on the floor unmoving as he was pulled around the corner. The edges of his vision had started to blacken when he was viciously thrown into water. His gills flared out quickly and began to greedily suck the moisture into his skin. Breathing became easier for him and he glanced out as he began to sink to the bottom to see his guardian toss his suit in after him. He grimaced when he heard Sam scream from downstairs and forced himself to get dressed once Harry had left the room.

* * *

The first screams from the neighbors awoke Ben from his sleep. He was still exhausted and slightly sore from the bruises Liam had given him earlier during their fight. The teen hero groaned when he saw the time and warily climbed out of the bed when he heard the sound of something breaking across the street.

"What the?" He asked narrowing his eyes. He ran out of the room and nearly collided with his father in the hall outside the room "dad what's going on?"

"Some strange looking men in medieval armor broke into Harry's home;" his father replied urgently, "your mom's trying to contact the police but no one is answering."

"Mid-evil knights?" Ben asked before his eyes widened "The forever knights."

He ran outside not caring that he was only dressed in a pair of boxers, took one look at the house and smacked his Omnitrix.

* * *

Kyle had just managed to get himself out of his tank and was busy pulling on his boots with a wince when the bedroom door was ripped open.

"SAM!" Kyle exclaimed in shock when he saw the blood running down his brother's face, "You're hurt."

"No time for kissing injuries," Sam snapped and grabbed Kyle by the hand. Kyle winced when the gloves scrapped against his fingers. Sam pulled him to the window but both screamed when they opened the curtain to see one of the knights on a ladder outside.

"They're surrounding the house," Kyle panicked. He could only stare as Sam ran forward, threw open the window and pushed the ladder away from the wall. The man gave a yell and grabbed onto the younger boy's arms.

"Kyle help!" Sam screamed and would have fallen from the window had Kyle not grabbed onto the back of Sam's boxers. Kyle's feet slipped and he was tugged forward until he was pressing against the wall below the window. He gasped through the pain the movement put his ribs through and let out a low pitiful keen when he noticed another knight come through the bed room door.

"Surrender yourselves now!" The knight said arming his spear towards Kyle and the boy closed his eyes as he heard Sam's panicked cries. There was a muffled scream and a buzzing sound before an icy cold hand put itself onto his shoulder. He opened his eyes and let out a scream when he saw the creature in front of him. The creature was deep blue in color abs seemed to wear a cloak that hid both his face and his body from view. Kyle panicked until he noticed the strange badge on the creature's chest.

"Ben?" He asked warily and the creature stood up straighter.

"How did you know?" The creature asked curiously.

"Just a hunch," Kyle explained before giving a grunt when the knight hanging onto Sam gave a vicious tug, "mind lending a hand?"

Ben nodded and suddenly disappeared from view, "leave this to me."

Kyle stood for a moment trying to make sense of what he had meant when Sam was viciously torn from his hands. He screamed and threw his head out of the window, expecting to see his brother's broken body on the ground.

"Stop panicking would you?!" Sam screamed up from where he was hidden in some dead bushes they had yet to clear out the back yard, "Kyle grab your bag and jump."

"What?" Kyle splattered. His ribs gave a pang at the height he stood at the prospect of it, " _is jy uit jou kop_?!"

"Just do it," Sam said finally and dived back into the bushes to hide. Kyle gave him an incredulous glare which changed when he turned around to see a knight step over his frozen companion and into the room. He blanched.

"Halt!" The knight screamed and Kyle shook his head. He grabbed the bag he kept on the side of his desk for this very reason before the guard could even try to lay a hand on him.

"Dear Lord if you can hear me I hope it's nice up there because I think I'm going to join you!" he screamed before he leapt head first out of the window. Kyle shielded his head as he fell, hoping to at the very least break his fall. He didn't have to as cold chilly hands wrapped themself around his middle and lowered him safely to the floor. It took a moment for him to regain his breath and to mask his face to hide the pain before he turned around. He was surprised to see Ben's form had changed. He was still the same blue creature as before but the cloak had disappeared. Instead it had unraveled to form large butterfly like wings on its back. Its frame was also wiry and unsurprisingly blue.

"What the?" Kyle asked in shock when he was tackled by his brother. Ben was quick to seal up the window before the knight could get out.

"I call this one Big Chill," Ben explained quickly. He glanced at the house when they heard a scream coming from inside and Kyle's eyes widened behind his vizier.

"Harry!"

"Dad!"

Big chills arms wrapped around their shoulders and prevented them from moving back inside.

"Don't worry about him," Ben said but not uncaringly, "get to my parents' house and stay there. I'll go get your dad." He gave them one last push before taking off and both boys stood staring for a moment before Kyle touched Sam's arm. They moved quickly although unwillingly and quickly jumped over the wall and ran across the street past he back of the vans the knights had used. Ben's mother and father were waiting for them at the door when they got there and quickly ushered them inside.

"My goodness kids," she crooned settling them inside the den. She made certain that they sat away from any windows and had covered both of them with a blanket. She set about cleaning Sam's for head with a cloth and wrapping a baggage around his hand and arm. Kyle had not even noticed the damage outside of his brother's head. He looked worryingly in the direction of their home and Mr. Tennyson noticed his train of thought.

"Don't worry Kyle," he said surprisingly gentle for a man that was terrified of the boy before, "your dad's going to be just fine."

Kyle didn't even bother to correct him he just looked at his brother in worry and Sam echoed his thoughts be back in a single glance.

* * *

Laser fire erupted around Ben as he flew through the walls of the house. He knocked one of the knights frozen and let out a growl when more arrived. He glanced around wondering where they had taken Harry when the knights inside of the house began to retreat outside. He noticed a movement at one of the trucks and spotted an unconscious Harry being loaded into the back. For a moment he worried that the man was dead until his chin moved and he let out a sigh. Then he realized that they were taking him.

"Oh no," he gasped and chased after them as they took off. There were three trucks in total, each one looked the same as the other and they drove in a straight line. The last one pulled a highly fast and extremely illegal U-turn without stopping and the turrets on the top activated. Three deadly dots pointed onto his chest and Ben cursed. He was forced to duck evasively as the weapon fired, raining bullets into the sky where he had been moments before. Where ever he went a stream of glowing metal followed him.

"Whoa," Ben purred in a dark voice as he shot up into the sky graceful, "I think it's time for you to chill."

He waited until they ran out of bullets before he dived down and landed on top of the vehicle. A knight climbed out from the back. Ben grabbed him before he could pull himself to his feet on the roof of the vehicle and tossed him into the road, wincing when he saw the road burn it gave the poor man. He shook it off with a shrug and turned back to the cab if the grey truck. Only to rear back when a spear was jabbed towards his face. He dematerialized his body, flew through the knight and reappeared on the man's other side. The forever knight looked around in confusion before Ben tapped him on the shoulder. The man turned and Ben let his fist fly into the males face, giving him a similar fate as the knight before him.

"That's what I'm talking about," he said before he noticed two problems. One was that the other trucks that had Harry were already a ways away and two that there were still more knight's in the truck his was dealing with.

"Sorry I would love to stay and chat," ben said mockingly as he dodged an attack from one, "but I have things to do, people to rescue."

With that he leapt into the air, took a deep breath and froze the truck into a large Popsicle.

"Awesome," he said then winced when the physics of motions didn't comply with his plan and the massive block of ice spun out of control and into one of the neighbor's front living room. He was just grateful hat they were not in town that night, "not as awesome."

Then he remembered about Harry and flew after them just as they disappeared around the corner. He thought that he would catch up to them when a series of beeps lit up the night from his chest and his form reverted back up to human.

"This is going to hurt!" He screamed as he fell and struck the tar. He bounced letting out a grunt of pain at each landing until he had stopped and glanced up through his bangs to see both trucks turn around another corner and disappear into the night.

"Ah man," he groaned feeling an over helming sense of guilt overtake him, "what am I going to tell Sam and Kyle now?"

He got to his feet slightly shaky and with a suddenly weakened hand pulled out his phone to message Rook and his grandfather.

* * *

Worry was eating at Kyle as the minutes ticked away until an hour had tickled away pain staking slowly. The Tennyson had put the TV on in the den to distract them and keep them occupied but even with it Kyle had been able to hear the gun fire and explosions outside. Those had stopped almost 40 minutes ago. What was taking Ben so long? Was Harry alright? Uncertain of what to do he looked down at the tea Mrs. Tennyson had given him to sip on in thought. It was Camille, something that he usually drank to sooth his nerves when he struggled to cope but this time the drink did not seem to be working. On top of his worries the adrelilion rush he had felt before had started to ebb away and in its wake the pain in his ribs had returned for vengeance. The pain was worse now than it had ever been and he tasted blood every time he breathed but he was too frightened to ask the Tennysons for help. Harry he could trust he did not know about these people though. He glanced upwardly in hope when the front door opened to Ben and Rook. Kyle did not know when the blue furred alien had arrived but that was not important as the one thing Kyle noticed.

"Where's he?" Sam asked for both of them. He had been just as quiet as Kyle, "where's my dad?"

Ben looked slightly depressed and suddenly found the floor to be a whole lot more interesting than their lost eyes.

"I'm so sorry Sam, Kyle," he said quietly.

Kyle felt a bitter ball of nausea drip down his throat, "what?"

"I'm so sorry," he said again, "the omnitrix timed out before I could get to them and by the time it reset it was too late. They took him."

"Papa," Sam whimpered and was soon drawn into Mrs. Tennyson's arms. They had been quiet the entire time and now looked at them with something akin to pity.

"What now?" Mr. Tennyson asked and Rook took a step forward soberly.

"We will keep searching for Mr. Colson. As it was the forever knight's that were involved the case will fall under plumber jurisdiction," he said firmly, "as for you two. Ben and I have already spoken to Magister Tennyson and he has agreed that until we can figure out why they are targeting you, we will be taking you into protective custody at Plumber headquarters."

"You'll find my dad?" Sam asked quietly when he pulled away from the older woman to wipe at his eyes with the back of his hand. Gone was the bravado He had shod previously and in its place was the frightened 12 year old that he really was.

Rook nodded, "you have my word as plumber."

Kyle allowed them to gently guide them out of the house. He tried not to limp too much and nodded great fully when the Tennysons let him keep the blanket they had wrapped him in. They were allowed to quickly cross the street and pack some belongings for their stay at Plumber headquarters. And Kyle tried to work as quickly as possible, anything to distract him from the dual pain in his ribs and heart.

"Are you alright?" Rook asked him once they had settled into the chairs in his truck and strapped in, their bags lying at their feet. Kyle wasn't. He was in a lot of pain. Pain that he hadn't felt for many years and his body was suffering from the stress of the move and the bullying and the attack on top of his injuries. He wasn't okay. He wanted to cry and scream but he took one look at Sam's weeping face and didn't. Instead he just nodded his head hoping that as an alien the plumber did not know if he was lying. Ben had said that he was new to learning about humans. He gave a pained sigh of relief when Rook let it slide but he had a fair feeling that the alien male was suspicious. They pulled away towards the unknown when Kyle looked back at the house, wondering if it was ever going to get better.

* * *

 **TRANSLATION (Afrikaans to English)**

 _ **is jy uit jou kop? –**_ _Are you out of your mind?_


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: Prime's sparkling does not own Ben 10. Ben 10 belongs to man of action. She only owns her characters and plot.**

* * *

 _ **CHAPTER 6**_

* * *

"What do you think?" Max Tennyson asked his comrade in arms and long-time friend as they looked at the data on the screen.

Patelliday glanced at him in consideration and rubbed at the bottom of his jaw with a clawed hand, " I don't like it Max, I don't like it one bit. Gotta admit I'm a little surprised that they would come out of hiding now of all times."

"Agreed," Max said quietly, "we let them slip by unnoticed for too long and now innocents have to suffer for it. But what troubles me is why they went for them."

"Are you talking about the Coulsons?" Ben asked walking up to them with his hands in his pockets. He still felt slightly like he had let the wrong people down but there was a determined glint in his green eyes to find the missing man.

Max smiled at his grandson in greeting before he became serious, "Ben, how are they?"

"They fell asleep on the way here," the teen explained, "Rook put them in one of the spare quarters for the time being. They're not taking it very well."

"I didn't think they would," Max said gravely, "They're just kids. Which brings me to the question of why they were going after them?"

"I think it may have to do with Kyle," Another voice explained entering the conversation. They turned in shock to see Gwen solemn faced walk up to the group. She had not slept in a long time if the rings under her eyes were any indication and Ben frowned slightly in concern. Not that he would admit it to her.

"Gwen what are you doing here?" Max asked in surprise. It wasn't often that his grandchildren managed to do that, "I thought you were in collage."

"I was," Gwen replied and came to a stop in front of them, "I decided to stay for a couple of days after Aunt Sara invited me to confirm something at the dinner the other night before I head back."

"Ha! I knew mom was up to something," Ben said with a slight smirk.

"Mothers generally are," Patelliday said with some humor. His pale purple eyes gleamed slightly like he was remembering something fond from his time back home, "Pity my nephew ain't learned that yet."

"Sarah invited you over for the family?" Max asked suddenly suspicious. That wasn't like his daughter in law at all, "Why?"

"It was about Kyle," Gwen admitted shaking her shoulders, "Ben's mom thought he reminded her of someone and brought me in to confirm it."

"Using your alien magic voodoo," Ben said comically and ducked when his cousin took a swipe at him.

"I'm serious dweeb," She snapped but made room for Rook when he entered the room after having dropped the boys off in a room, "I found something in his aura, more specifically in his soul chain, it's sort of like a chain that everyone has coming from them."

"If everyone had one what's so important about it?" Ben asked with a shrug.

Max rubbed the back of his head in thought and frowned, "A lot of it is Ben. The chain Gwen is describing is known as the chain of fate and each one is different. All anodrites can see them. They all look different from each other based on the type of relationships people have with each other. Xylene had once told me that the only exceptions were in related families."

"Exactly," Gwen nodded, "In the case of biological parents, the chains look nearly alike, kind of how a DNA chart is."

"And you met the fella's dad?" Patelliday asked in confusion. He had a funny feeling of what was going on and suspected that he wasn't going to like it at all.

"Yeah," Gwen nodded, "Magister Patelliday, his chain of fate is almost identical to yours."

"What?" Max, Patelliday and Ben gasped in shock.

"I assume you didn't know you had a kid with someone," she said finally once she saw the way the fish man's eyes had widened into saucers.

"No sir-ee Gwen," Patelliday said crossing his arms, "I don't have any critters of my own. Especially one with a human. You must have confused me with someone else."

"I don't think so Magister. But it's just an observation I've made. The only way to confirm it would be with a DNA test," she said when she noticed the aliens fins rise up in his shock.

"Come to think of it she may be right," Ben said frowning as he turned to his cousin, "you never heard me say that."

Gwen only smirked at her cousin.

"What do you mean Ben?" Max asked considering his partner was in too much shock to say anything. He hadn't seen the plumber's lure raise so strait into the air like that for some time.

"He sometimes acts in similar ways to you," Ben continued as though he Magister has not said anything.

"Ben is correct on that regard," Rook quirked, "I have only met the human once but there were times during our conversation where I thought I was talking to you. His mannerisms are similar if not a little shy. Or bland."

"Don't remind me," Ben growled," it's like the kids has no emotions at all. Doesn't help that we can't see his eyes."

"Can't see his eyes?" Patelliday asked. His mind flashed to the boy he had helped a few days before. It had been doing that for a while since that day and it was bothering him to a degree. He still could not tell where he knew the child from, "this Kyle? His last name don't happen to be Summers does it? Quiet kid, wears a red visor?"

Ben's eyes widened and he nodded.

"You met him before?" Max asked his comrade in surprise.

"Gave him a ride home after that bad heat wave some weeks ago," Patelliday replied still rubbing his chin, "but I don't see how I'm his daddy kids. For one were completely different."

"Hybrids aren't all that uncommon," Ben bit back a little mock cocky than he wanted to. After all he and Gwen were both not entirely human themselves, "look we're not saying that he is your kid."

"But if he was it would make a good reason for the forever knight's to go after him," Gwen explained, "if I were you I'd ask about the DNA test anyway. Just to be safe."

It looked like she had wanted to say more when her phone rang and she left the group. No one knew what to say after that. There was a moment of silence where Max, Rook, Patelliday and Ben looked at each other stunned.

* * *

When Kyle woke up after he had fainted from the stress of everything, it was to an unknown room. He panicked slightly and shot up only to regret it when a collage of pain swept up his right side. He gasped, letting a look of pain sweep over his usually blank features as he fell back into the bed and tried not to pass out. The pain caused him to breathe faster through the gills on his neck but the water in his suit felt like slim over them and he grimaced in disgust. He hadn't had enough time to put an oxidizer onto his suit with the attack and the water must have started to solidify because of it.

Eww.

He wondered how long they had been out for and sighed in relief when he saw his brother sleeping in the bunk next to him. There were still water marks running down Sam's cheeks but he looked more at peace while he slept. Kyle sighed. He wished that he could go back to sleep himself but there was a discomfort in his suit that he knew word bother him until it was fixed. That and they had to find out where they were. The last thing he remembered was staring at their house as Rook drove them to safety. He took in a painful breath and slowly began to sit himself up as to look around the room. It was slightly larger than the one they had back home. There were two beds with a trunk at the end of each of them and a matching desk to go with them along the far wall facing them. To Kyle's left was a door leading to a bathroom and the on Sam's right was one he guessed lead to outside the room.  
Kyle gently kicked the blanket around his legs off and stumbled to the bathroom, stopping to nab his bag on the top of the trunk as he did. He stripped and fell into the shower, making the water as cool as it would go and just let himself rehydrate under the spray. His mind flashed to Harry and he couldn't help the low keen he let out. Somehow he knew that the attack was his fault. Things like these often were. He didn't bother touching the soap. Most of the ones available he was allergic to and the other would have left an itch on his skin. It was a pain in his butt. Kyle waited a moment to let himself feel a bit more grounded before he carefully pulled his suit into the shower and began wiping the slime out the inside of it. He then put it back on, letting the tubes at the neck refill as he did before he clipped one the small device he had been missing earlier. When he got back to the room Sam was sitting up and rubbing at his eyes He paused in his actions as Kyle carefully began to pull on some fresh clothes on over his suit, having thrown the dirty pair he had slept in to the side.

"So it wasn't a dream then?" Sam asked voice wavering. Kyle nodded and looked towards the door while he waited for Sam to get his shoes on.

"Where do you think we are?" He asked stiffly and Sam shrugged.

"Don't know," he replied, "let's find out."

Kyle had been worried that the door had been locked but it opened as soon as they had touched the pad on the side of the wall. He gasped when he saw the size of the base and felt Sam stiffen next to him. His brother pulled at his sleeve and he dutifully followed, slightly creeped by the quietness of the room.

They got onto the first elevator they saw and Sam gave Kyle a strange look.

"Which floor?" The older boy asked. Kyle didn't say anything. Instead he reached out a pushed a button. They gasped when the doors slide shut and the lift started moving faster than a normal elevator. When it stopped they were sprawled on the lift floor on their behinds, grabbing onto each other. Upon realizing it Sam shoved Kyle away from him, missing the low hiss he gave when his ribs were jolted.

"Whoa," Kyle said softly as they looked around at the large space. It was definitely some sort of headquarters with some tech that did not look like it came from earth at all. The walls were still the same green color as ever where else. But what surprised the boys was the hive of the place. There were people everywhere. Some were human, Kyle noted as he elbowed his brother in the side for staring at a tall woman in red armor and short orange hair. Others were not as much. There was a short mole like creature that worked alongside the woman and across from them was a man in a full suit that even closed his face from view. There were so many but as soon as they stepped outside Kyle's eyes drew themselves across the hall to where some familiar figures stood talking. Ben and Rook were familiar but Kyle did not know the older man in the Hawaiian flower shirt and grey hair. He guessed the man must have been Magister Tennyson Ben had talked about. He recognized Patelliday as soon as he saw him and he paused. The man had plagued his dreams for some time. He looked so much like him and yet Kyle could not tell why he felt so familiar. Kyle tilted his head to the side. They looked like they had been told the world was going to end. He shifted and caught Ben's eye from where he stood facing them.

"Speak of the devil," Ben said lowly but loud enough for the boys to hear and called out to them, "Kyle, Sam how you feeling?"

Kyle sobered slightly as he walked up to the four, dimly aware of Sam high on his heels but his eyes stayed on Patelliday.

"I'm not sure what I'm supposed to feel," Kyle murmured finally.

"I'm just worried about my dad," Sam echoed after him. The older man bent slightly down to their level as they only came to his elbow in height. Well Kyle did, Sam was a little bit shorter than that. The man had the same green eyes as Ben but they were narrowed into slits from his older age and Kyle couldn't help but feel safe around him. It was not like with Patelliday where he felt a sense of belonging and a connection but it was still strange to feel from this new stranger.

"Don't you worry kids," The man explained putting a hand on Sam's shoulder, "we're doing everything we can to find your dad. In the meantime just be patient. It's going to be alright."

Sam nodded and glanced at the man in confusion, "Who are you mister?"

"Call me Max," Max said with a smile, "I run this unit along with Magister Patelliday."

"Who?" Sam asked in curiously.

The fish man raised a three fingered hand into the air. Strangely Kyle had not noticed that the man only had three fingers the last time they had met or the green webbing between them that made him itch to pull of his own gloves to compare them.

"That'd be me fella," Patelliday said glancing at them. The fish man's stare fell onto Kyle and the boy could not help but feel confused. He could not tell what the face the man was pulling. It was the same one both Mrs. Tennyson and Gwen had given him when they had first met him and he was starting to get annoyed by it.

"I remember you," Kyle said and Sam's mouth dropped as he glanced between them.

"You do?" The older teen asked. Both Kyle and Patelliday nodded.

"I helped him when some bullies didn't know how to take no for an answer," Patelliday explained eyes still on Kyle like he was trying to figure out a puzzle, "before I forget fellas are there anyone that we need to contact for ya. Any one that can take ya in?"

"No sir," Sam said truthfully. Technically he did have an aunt back in the home country but she was continents away so the point was moot. That and she did not really like Kyle, "dad's all we got."

"Then in the meantime," Max said firmly, "make yourselves at home until we can find him."

Ben looked like he wanted to add something when the mole man they had seen earlier ran up to them in a huff.

"What is it Jerry?" Patelliday asked and Jerry reached past them to type something onto the screen.

"Your name is Jerry?" Sam asked incredulous and trying not to laugh but Kyle saw that the fear he had felt earlier had left him slightly, "you don't happen to own a cat named Tom do you?"

Kyle elbowed him hard in the side, ignoring his brother's surprised squeak.

"Sorry about him," Kyle murmured at the confused look the alien gave him, "he was dropped on his head as a baby. Repeatedly."

"Hey!" Sam growled at him but Max stepped between them before a fight could break out amount them.

"Enough you two," he said firmly and both boys ducked their heads in shame, "go on Jerry."

"We let out a couple of feelers asking about the knight's," he explained bringing up a picture of a rundown building in the middle of nowhere, "one of them reported seeing soldiers in this building."

"That's the old paper press factory just outside of Bellwood," Max said heavily," It's a good three hour drive from here."

Kyle noticed Ben and Rook glance at each other.

"Is that where they're holding my dad?" Sam asked hopefully and Max shrugged.

"Not certain fella," Patelliday answered instead, "It is likely. Those no good baboons have been in hiding for a while now but there's no way to prove it without going in."

"So when are we?" Kyle asked tilting his head. His fingers twitched, feeling anxious and worried. For all they knew the forever knights were torturing Harry.

"We?" Patelliday asked before he frowned which looked a little frightening as it caused his sharp teeth to show more when his lips pulled upwards, "oh no. Not in a bucket of a life time. You will stay here, let us Plumbers do the rescuing."

"We're going with!" Sam growled, "That's my dad they've got."

"It's too dangerous," Max said firmly.

"That's crazy," Patelliday snapped at the same time, "you two have no training what so ever. You're also only civilians."

"You can't tell me what to do," Kyle murmured then said, "You're not my dad!"

Everyone froze for a moment and even Patelliday had stiffened as soon as the words tumbled out of his mouth. Kyle felt like he had suddenly said something wrong and worried that he had angered the two men but he refused to move from his stance. Harry may not have been his dad but he had done so much for him. He had rescued him from the hell he had been living in, took him in and taught him how to survive. Kyle felt it was only right that he return the favor.

"I might not be fella," Patelliday said quietly, "but taking you along would be too dangerous."

"Magister Patelliday is right," Rook explained calmly, "the forever knight's targeted your family. Taking you along would be giving them what they want."

"It's final you two," Max said firmly but not unkind like, "You will stay here and wait for our return. Jerry."

The mole man turned to face the Magister with a sharp nod.

"Gather up a group of plumbers to storm the building. Ben, Rook meet us in the loading bay," Max said.

"But kicking time?" Ben asked with a smirk, "awesome!"

They scampered to get to their places and Max turned to face them again. He reached into his pocket and dropped a quarter into each of their hands.

"Here," He said, "If you go down one floor to the recreational lounge, you'll find a vending machine there. Get yourselves something to drink. You look like you need it."

Kyle watched as Max turned back to the console. Patelliday followed the group going out and he suddenly felt guilty for snapping at the male as he had. They waited for a long time until Kyle saw that Max had been distracted by something on the screen. He tugged at Sam's sleeve and made their way backwards until they had met the elevator. When the doors closed Sam turned to him with a raised brow, but he looked just as if not more determined.

"We gonna sneak on board?" He asked and Kyle nodded, " do we even know where the bay where the cars are?"

Kyle shook his shoulders, "one of the buttons should take us there."

"Well the best places for a garage are either the basement or the roof," Sam said then flustered when Kyle sent him a confused look, "Max said they were going to take the ship remember. Wouldn't it be easier to fly from the roof?"

Kyle couldn't argue. He reached out and presses the button for the roof. But groaned when the elevator stopped and there was nothing on the roof but a view to the streets and the tall buildings across the streets.

"Guess they don't park ships on the roof," Sam muttered and pressed the lowest floor he could find. The elevator opened with a ping and Kyle wobbled out slightly woodsy. He wasn't sure what it was with elevators but they always seemed to make his stomach a little on the weaker side.

"Over there," Sam whispered coming to a crouch behind some crates. He pointed to a ship on the other side of the hall and Kyle's mouth dropped open. It was like something out if a Sci-fi movie or comic. He spotted Patelliday standing at the ramp along with a group of plumbers and they ducked when he turned to glance around. Ben and Rook were climbing into the Rooks truck and both their eyes widened when it transformed into a ship. It lifted from the floor and quickly flew out of a ramp like entrance along the far wall.

"Come on," Kyle said once it had disappeared. He took off in a run despite the pain in his ribs with Sam on his heels. The ship Patelliday was on had started to lift. The ramp was pulling up and they needed to get on it before it closed. Sam was faster than him on land. He over took Kyle and leapt into the ship, twisting along the way to grab his hand and help him inside. Seconds later the ramp sealed shut behind them, preventing them from giving up without being caught. Inside was rather big. There was a long row of seat a on each side of the canopy that ran up to the door on the other side. Kyle guessed that was where the plumbers were sitting and that where they were now was were the prisoners sat during pickups. He shifted slightly, still on his hands and knees, in nervousness as they were out in the open. Any of the plumbers could just look out the door way and see them. From where he sat Kyle could see the female plumber his brother had been ogling at earlier clearly.

"Come on," Sam whispered and began crawling quickly to the side. Kyle followed, a bit more slowly because of his chest and they tucked themselves into a gap in the compartments behind the chairs. It was well hidden, they themselves had only seen it because they were so low to the floor and they had to slide in under the bench to get to it. It was roughly the size of a small cupboard so it was a tight fit but they managed with a little difficulty. Kyle looked at his brother and Sam smiled at him in the dim light. He returned it with one of his own, fully flashing his teeth despite the demonic look it gave him.

"We're actually doing this," Sam whispered.

"No way of backing out now," Kyle murmured back. He went to say something when Sam shoved a hand over his mouth, forcing him to pull his lips over his teeth to prevent biting his brother.

He wondered why the brunette would do such a thing when he heard footsteps outside of the whole they were hiding in. Kyle glanced in between the gaps in the benches. It was the female plumber in the red suit again. The looked around cautiously, coming extremely close to where they were sitting and Kyle worried for a moment that they were going to be caught.

"Molly?" Patelliday came into the back as well. Kyle felt his heart rate go up further. They were so getting caught. He reached up and pressed a hand to Sam's mouth before he could gasp and give them away, "what you doing back here?"

"I thought I heard something," she replied firmly and they saw Patelliday give the area a sweep with his eyes, "must have just been my imagination."

Patelliday chuckled and guided her back to the other room with a hand on the middle of her back, "happens to the best of us. Better safe than sorry."

"Guess your right Magister," she said and Kyle sighed inside when he saw them about to cross back into the other room.

A beeping disrupted that.

"Patelliday," Max's voice came out of a pair of speakers in the back and Kyle's eyes widened behind his visor. Sam's matched his. The older man must have realized that they were gone by now.

"Yes Max?" The fish man asked tilting his head up despite knowing that there was no one there to talk to.

"Sam and Kyle have disappeared from the base," Max explained, "we think thy might have tried to stowaway on one of the ships."

"Well if they are here there's only one place for them to hide," Patelliday explained. There was hard tone in his voice that made Kyle shiver and they watched through the small gaps in the chairs with hearts beating in their chests as the Magister disappeared somewhere behind them. He started to dig into the alcove they would have sat in had Sam not noticed the hidden one behind the bench and both boys sat frozen, not wanting to move an inch, "they're not here Max."

"I have to ask Rook to scan his ship again or they might have climbed onto the wrong one," Max said tiredly, "I'll have one of the plumbers check the security feeds. Max out."

"Think they really did sneak onto one of the ships?" Molly asked once the call had been cut off.  
Patelliday stopped and rubbed at his chin in thought.

"Kyle looks like a smart fella," he said eventually, "and those looks they had in their eyes makes me think it wouldn't be a good idea to put it past them."

She nodded and Kyle and Sam both let out a breath they hadn't realized they had been holding when the two left to return to the chamber where the other plumbers were waiting. They knew that neither could talk until they got where they needed to go. It was going to be a long flight.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: Prime's sparkling does not own Ben 10. Ben 10 belongs to man of action. She only owns her characters and plot.**

* * *

 **CHAPTER 7**

* * *

"Alright fellas," Patelliday's voice brought Kyle out of the lift sleep he has fallen into. He shook his head in the cramped space they sat in and realized that the vibrations of the ship that they had felt had stopped. They must have landed, "you know the plan. Pair off and find Mr. Colson, nothing else. Permission to use deadly force has been granted by the mage."

"Yes sir," one of the other plumbers saluted him and Kyle realized that they must have landed at the warehouse. He waited until the men had left the ship before he reached over and shook Sam awake, wincing when pins and needles shot up his dead feeling arm.

"Time to go?" Sam asked and Kyle nodded. The older boy shifted over him also wincing and having some trouble as he tried to return the blood flow to his limbs and wiggled himself over Kyle's legs to get out. Needless to say it was easier getting in than out. Once out Kyle gave each of his limbs a quick rub down and tried not to limp as they made their way towards the ramp. Sam suddenly stopped in front of him, holding out a hand to stop him from going any further.

"There's a guard over there," he whispered in explanation and Kyle face palmed. Of course they would leave some one behind to guard the ship. He looked around for something they could use to distract the man when Kyle's eyes fell on some metal in the back ground. He stuck his hand into his pocket and pulled out the quarter Max had given him.

"When I throw this we run," he whispered to Sam before pulling his arm back and letting the small piece of metal fly. A surrounding ring echoed through the air and sure enough the guard followed the sound. They watched him nervously tighten his finger on the strange rifle he carried and after a moment left his post to go and see what had caused he noise. Kyle let out a sigh of relief. For a moment he did not think the man would take the bait.

"Come on," Sam ordered Pulling at his sleeves. They moved quickly, despite the still numb feeling in their limbs and the pain in Kyle's chest. It was almost unbearable but nothing like the pain they would feel if they didn't find Harry in time. The two boys dived behind some crates close to the wall of the warehouse. The ship had landed a little to the side and away from the building which meant one had a little bit of running to do before they could get to it. They partially crawled around the corner and decided to find another way in. Going the same way in as the plumbers was asking to be caught. Sam stopped at the closest window he could find that was reachable and crouched down in front of it, locking his fingers together in front of him. Kyle understood what the older boy wanted. He tugged off his jacket, remembering something he had seen once in a crime show, stepping onto his brother's hand with one foot and covered the window as much as he could with the material. He reached back and punched the glass out, satisfied when it didn't make too much noise and pulled himself inside he sat on the window sill as he quickly put the jacket back on and reached down to help his brother up and inside the building. It was dark inside, all the windows having been tapped from the inside to prevent any nosy onlookers from seeing what was inside and Kyle had to guide his brother through the dark. His visor had a night time function built into it. And he gave an internal wince when he felt the phantom twitches off pain and movement on the top of his head. He didn't always need to wear it. He shrugged off the feeling of loss when they neared a door way and he opened it just slightly to see what was going on. A pair of knights walked past. Both boys kept still until their echoing footsteps had drifted away far enough before they left the room, careful to close the door behind them.

"Now where?" Kyle asked. There were two directions they could go in and he was about to suggest that they split up when Sam pinched him on the inside of his arm over the jacket.

"Don't even think about it," He hissed, "Have you learnt nothing from horror movies. People that split up don't live long."

He nodded even as he pulled his arm from his brother's grip to give the spot a rub. Geesh but the brunet had a grip on him.

"Then let's go that way," He pointed in the direction the two knights had come from. Sam gave him a strange look, "What? We can't stand here all day. We'll be caught."

Sam gave in and the both walked quietly down the brightly lit hall way, wincing each time their footsteps echoed through the building. Kyle couldn't help wondering how high their electricity bill was with all the lights they were using.

* * *

Patelliday was worried. He didn't let it show but as Magister he had more than enough years under his belt for him to have developed an instinct when it came to inside the field and out. The humans referred to it as a sixth sense and ever since Max had radioed in about the boys disappearance from base it had been going off like fireworks at midnight on new year's eve. Heck it had been going off since the day he had met Kyle period. As he pressed himself against the wall on the outside of the building, gun at ready, he glanced over at Molly. He had gained a soft spot for the woman since she had joined the plumbers a few years previously and made certain that he was partnered up with her on the more dangerous missions to protect her better. Not that she needed protecting if her fighting skills were anything to go by. He wasn't attracted to her or anything but she reminded him so much of someone his arms ached to hold.

"Ready Magister?" She asked quietly. He nodded and with a firm kick she knocked the door off of its hinges. The two guards standing just on the other side didn't even stand a chance as they were stunned and stepped over. The hall way was brightly light making Patelliday wonder how the electricity had not red flagged them in their systems. After all this place was supposed to be abandoned for some years. It looked remarkably well looked after on the inside.

Molly flattened herself against the wall when they came to the first junction; aiming her weapon down the hall as Patelliday over took her this time to aim down the bend. He gestured to her with a hand and they made their way down the new corridor, pausing to give each room a quick sweep as they went. The third one they came to had a few of the knights lounging inside of it. The two plumbers didn't hesitate to stun each and every one of them. Once all of them lay unconscious at their feet, Patelliday led them back into the hall. He led Molly round a corner and suddenly flattened himself against the back of a support beam, gesturing to Molly to do the same. A moment later, two knights walked past, oblivious to the presence of the plumbers behind them and not seeming to care who listened in on what they were saying.

"Can't wait for the end of shift to arrive," The one said gesturing to the other, "Then we could get the man to talk. Get him to tell us were the freak is."

"I can't believe the thing managed to get away from you." The second man laughed, "And what of the man we past, what would become of him?"

"The alien harborer?" The first man asked, "The honor board will arrive soon to pick him up if they haven't already and take him to the good doctor to get him to talk."

' _Alien harbourer?"_ Patelliday thought as the two men disappeared around the corner they had just come from, _'They must have been part of the raid that stole Kyle and Sam's father.'_

Patelliday knew they had to hurry if they wanted to find Harry Colson before the alarms went off and he moved quickly down the stairs the two Knights had come from aware of Molly on his heels as she took out the guard at the base of the stairs. It lead to a dark corridor and there was only one door sitting looming at the end of the hall in darkness. They walked quickly up to the door and glanced in through the small feeder gap it had. Inside they saw a human figure had been strapped to a chair. They could make out that the man had a bag over his head through he dimm light and that he was alone.

"All teams," Molly spoke through the coms to the other teams what ever working stealthy through the building as well, "Target acquired in the west wing of the structure."

* * *

Ben and Rook had opted to enter the premises though the roof of the building. Once out of he ship Rook was quick to dispense with the two guards that were keeping duty beofre Ben could even reach for the Omnitrix. It sometimes worried the galactic hero with how fast and gratefully his alien partner could move. They broke down the door to the inside and were met with numerous more guards there to stall them. They noticed a knight head for a switch to set off the alarm. Ben smirked twisted the watch on his wristband slammed a hand onto it. His form shifted, growing limbs and shrinking. Some blue fur grower over him and he smirked as he looked down at his alien hands.

"Spider-monkey?" He purred happily, "one this I can work with."

He leapt into the fray firing webbing from the end of his tail. It wrapped around the fleeting armored man just as his fingertips touched the bar of the alarm. The man gave a shout and Ben pulled at the rope, swinging the man across the room and let go. He smashed into three other knights. One of them gave a low groan but the other two had hit their heads and simply land under the pile of bodies.

"Area clear," Rook said when the last of the knights had been knocked unconscious. They would return at a later stage to arrest each and every one of them at a later stage.

"Let's move," Ben said as they made their way down a set of stairs.

"All teams," Molly's voice tore through both their head sets, "Target acquired in the west wing of the structure."

"Hear that?"Ben asked his partner, "not much longer now."

"All teams to provide cover for us. Go gun a take as a moment to cut through this here door," Patelliday said after a moment.

"Understood," Rook said into his head set, "it seems that our work here is not quite complete."

Ben grunted and took out another guard, "you're telling me."

* * *

They weren't certain how long they had been walking. They had turned down random passages so many times that Kyle worried they would be unable to find their way back out again. So far both boys had only been forced to hide from two other patrols and they were coming increasingly agitated from the adrelilion running through them. Kyle noticed Sam gritting his teeth. He knew that the older boy would not say anything as the sound tended to echo throughout the halls. They had learnt that the hard way. It had actually been the resin why they had to hide from the last patrol when Kyle had stumped his knee across some crates that had been sticking out unnoticed. He knew that he was going to feel the bruise that was forming in the morning.

He growled slightly, tempted to let out a keen to show his own frustration when he heard some foot falls coming from the hallway around the bend ahead of them. He stopped and out the corner of his visors his saw Sam flash panic over his face. Kyle noticed some drums that reeked of fuel that they had passed slightly behind them. They stood out wards into the hall and would provide good cover for the oncoming traffic so long as the knights did not look back once they had passed. He grabbed Sam on the arm and hid just when the spear tip the knight carried appeared from around the bend. His hearts jumped to his throat, so close that he could hear them beating in his ears and on the sides of his temple as the knights appeared. Sam had taken a grip on his arms as they sat crouched behind the drums and it now tightened Kyle couldn't help but be surprised as well. The patrol had five people. Four of them had the same silver armor they had seen on the previous patrols as well as on the group that attacked them. They walked around the fifth person in a square protective formation. It was the man in the middle that surprised the two boys. His armor was a far more slim line version than the ones his protection wore and looked more movable to walk in. There was a red sash like pattern that had been engraved into the chest piece stretching over the shoulder to his hip like a badge of honor. It reminded Kyle of the belts of rank the ancient European armies wore.  
Kyle guessed that the he must have been like a squad leader or something and the other knight's his henchmen. They passed them without a word and Kyle couldn't help but hold his breath. He hoped they didn't turn around and let out a sigh of relief when they didn't. When they turned down a hall Kyle and Sam had decided not to go down, Kyle quietly raised from his spot. He heard Sam shift, most likely wondering what he was doing but ignored it as he flattened himself against the wall and peered down the hall the men had gone down. There was only a room at the end which as guarded by two other knights. Kyle wondered how they hadn't been spotted when he and Sam walked past the first time. The patrol paused to say something to them. One of the knights nodded and opened the door with a respectful bow, giving Kyle a small glance of the large table inside with other members already waiting before it was closed. The high ranked member's guards remained outside the door and joined the previous two guards.

Kyle shook his head and quietly trotted back to Sam who was nervously glancing down the hall like he expected another patrol to walk by and find them. The older boy opened his mouth to ask a question despite the danger but Kyle shook his head. The boy knew he had to get into that meeting. He climbed up on top of the barrels and began to pull at the grating, wincing when it came loose with a clatter. He hadn't expected it to be that loose.

"What was that?!"One of the guards down the hall called and Kyle quickly pulled himself into the narrow passage. He heard Sam clamber in behind him and they hid in the first ducting they could find as one of the knights approached the entrance.

"Oh it's just this stupid grating again," the knight muttered darkly, "always falling out of the bloody wall. Don't know why the boss hasn't got anyone in o fix it yet."

As they stepped away Kyle and Sam let out collective breath. The visor boy twisted in the narrow space and crawled through the venting. He stubbornly i ignored the slick feeling against his gloves from the grease on the grate as he shifted over the venting in the passage. When they came to the room there was a grating that let them look directly down into the room. The room was slightly larger than Kyle had thought and he narrowed his eyes at the few ranked members he could see.

"Let us commence with this waste of time," the knight they had seen in the passage growled. Kyle could not see his face because of his helmet and it seemed as though the other members were agreeing with him.

"Waste of time?!" A Knight across from him snapped. The man was not wearing his helmet. His dark brown hair and a scar across his lips "Let this be a warning to you Sir Lychet. Everything we do is no waste of time, unlike you who slanders his time with riches and woman."

"All the finer things in life," Lychet snapped back and pulled off his helmet. He had greying hair and pale skin. That was all they could see from their spot in the vents.

"All the things to ruin a man," Another knight snapped firmly, "enough of this foolishness. Back onto business."

"Very well," the first knight that had scolded Lychet gave low nod, "We have final confirmation that the Earth First movement will join our cause."

A pregnant silence took over the room and Kyle's head shot up to look into Sam's eyes in confusion and horror. _Earth first?_ Sam's eyes echoed his feelings back and he shivered slightly. It had nothing to do with the coldness of the vent either. They had heard of Earth first. Hell they had run into them before. They were one of the reasons the Coulson's had moved down from the old Transvaal area to the Cape back in South Africa before Harry had gotten the new job in America.

"Is that so?" Lychet asked with a cocky grin, "Last we heard they wanted us to hunt down that pet of theirs. As well as the thieves that took it along with them."

' _Pet?'_ Kyle thought.

"We have the adult and as far as the leader of Earth First is aware of, we have the rest of them as well," another knight spoke. Kyle could not see them and he shifted slightly to see if he could perhaps make out something.

"But we do not Wood," Lychet snapped with an amused grin, "But I like your new style brother, sending in his own son to do his dirty work."

"Jake has fared us well for the time being," Wood growled back.

Kyle's head ripped up in shock. Then an unpleasant burning entered his stomach as a ball of despair sank itself in. He never knew that he could hate someone as bad as he did now.

' _Jake told on us?'_ Kyle thought. His eyes blurred slightly out of anger and had he have been normal they would have been filling with tears. A pinch to his arm made him calm down enough to look at his brother only to see the understanding look in them but there was something else in there as well, like a wall had been brought between the two boys.

"Now that we have the compliance with the last of those in the other holy lands," The second Knight explained, "We can move on with our plan. The day of the attack is coming upon us and we must be ready to rid the world once and for all of these demons that plague the earth."

' _Attack?'_ Kyle thought. That did not sound very good.

He grimaced when he felt a cramp in his leg and moved as quietly as possible. When he later looked back at the moment he would have decided that that was not his best choice. The only warning they got when his foot lightly pressed near the grating so shift his weight was a traitorous creek of metal before they were sent to the floor on top of the knights.

He gasped when a fire of pain shot up his side before the adrenalin over ride it and he could feel his hearts beating faster in his chest. He looked over at the stunned knights and gave them a sheepish look.

"We were trying to find the bath room and got lost?" Sam said as he tried to think of an excuse. The knight with the scar across his lips gave the boy a soldering look and gestured for the door.

"Get them," he said and the door busted inwards. Kyle gulped when he saw the guards come in armed to the teeth and he pulled Sam up and into a roll, narrowly missing the grab Wood made for them.

"RUN!" Kyle screamed. A knight fired at them and he twisted to miss it when he saw the narrow opening between the knight's legs. It was where the armor split to allow the knight to move his legs. He gave Sam a lopsided look through his visor but it seemed that the brunet had also seen the opening. Kyle drew in a deep breath and pointed to something along a far wall.

"What the Hell is that?!" He screamed and when the knights distractingly looked where he was pointing, he leapt in between the guard's legs, hearing his cry of pain when Sam followed in after him and kicked the guard in the gap between the armor. They didn't stop even as they pulled themselves back onto their feet mid slide and run as fast as they could down the passage they had come from.

A shot of a gun fired behind them. It struck the sides of the oil containers they had used as a hiding spot and the after blast nearly swept both boys off of their feet.

"Sound the alarm!" Lychet hollered in the smoke behind them.

* * *

They had worked as fast as they could. Patelliday watched over Molly as she cut at the lock with the extra tool she had on her blaster. The flame from the touch and the sparks it gave from the metal where the only sources of light aside from the glowing lure on the male Plumber's head and he could feel the heat slowly eating at his back. It did not bother him much but his species as a whole were water dwelling and even the small bit of land that they had on their planet was cool in climate. There was a reason that the plumber base was kept as such cooler temperatures.

A click brought the Magister out of his reverie and with a nod to molly they ripped the door open and walked up to the figure in the seat.

"Mr. Colson there's no reason to be alarmed," Molly said as she got closer, "We're here to rescue you."

There was no response and with a worried glance towards her higher up she reached out to pluck off the mask over the man's head. But there was no man. It was a dummy, a scare crow that someone had tied up to fool them and in the dim light it gave them a mocking smile, as if to say _got you._

"It's a trap!" Patelliday said harshly before an ear splitting alarm went off in the building.

"All units," He said into his plumber badge as the two of them quickly made their way out of the room, "retreat! We've been set up!"

Not a second after the warning had crossed his lips did a loud screeching wail echo throughout the building, alerting every knight in the vicinity of their presence. It made them move at a faster pace but at the back of his mind, Patelliday wondered what had set off the alarms.

* * *

"Oh man," Kyle squeaked as he pushed open the door in front of them, still running at full speeds. His chest heaved painfully at the movements. Sam ran aside him, coughing as the smoke obscuring their vision clogged his lungs and made it difficult to breath. Kyle had a similar problem, even if breathing through his neck helped to lessen the problem a little. Behind them the foot falls of the knights on their tails hammered on in warning of capture. They had taken different hall ways to lose the majority of the knights on their trails but it hadn't been easy. A blaster shot skimmed just past their heads, so close that Kyle could feel the heat of it searing his ear, when Sam tugged on his sleeve and pulled him down another hall way.

"Come on," He urged in between coughing when Kyle saw a half open door towards the end of the hall. The knights hadn't come into the new passage just yet but he could hear them approaching and without another thought he tugged his brother into the room and shut the door.

He pressed a hand against Sam's mouth to muffle the cough he wanted to give when the Knights ran past their promptly hiding spot, never the wiser. He waited for a moment, hearts pounding before he let go of his brother's face. Sam kneeled over, struggling to clear his air ways and Kyle frowned.

"Come on," He said softly over the ear splitting alarms and slugged his brother's arm over his shoulder, allowing the brunet to lean on him. He led them out of the door before turning down the hall they had come from. He didn't expect the response he got when they wondered around the corner.

"Wait don't shoot!" He murmured in freight, barely making out Rook's tall form in the smoke and the dark amour that he always seemed to wear.

Rook lowered the proto Tool he had aimed at the boys faces.

"Kyle? Sam?" He asked in shock before the cat alien's eyes Narrowed into anger, "What are you doing here?!"

"No time to explain!" Sam screamed when a blaster shot exploded over his head. The knights ripped around the corner, causing the boys to duck. Ben slammed a hand onto the omnitrix symbol on his chest, cursing as he did and when the glow died away it was to reveal the sight of a large cannon ball like creature that reminded Kyle of an armadillo.

"Cannonbalt!" Ben screamed and leapt over their crouched heads, curing up to grab his feet and rolled through the room. The knights turned with shouts of surprise but they were too late to stop the attack and Ben rolled each of them over.

' _Like a bowling ball to a pin,'_ Kyle thought over the screams. A rough, padded hand wrapped around his arm and he looked up to see Rook pulling him along and behind him.

"Get out of here!" The blue furred alien roared, firing at the new squadron of knights that appeared in the passage way, "Get back to the ship you came from and stay there."

He gave Kyle and Sam both one final shove before they moved on their own and Kyle let Sam pull him along by the hand. They ducked when another blast ripped over their heads. Kyle gasped next to Sam as they pulled behind some cover for a moment.

They said nothing, but Kyle couldn't help but gasp when he looked at at the far wall. He wasn't a very religious person, but Kyle couldn't help but feel that whoever had put a window at the end of the hall was a god send. He grabbed a hold of Sam and pulled him towards the black taped glass. They punched it out, flinching when it shattered down on them and they flopped out. Some shards cut into his back but the hormones running through his wiry frame blocked out the pain as he pulled himself to his feet. Sam was already at his side and they made a dash for the ship where the Guard was glaring at them darkly.

"You two are in a lot of trouble," he snapped angrily, but some knights running out of the building made him pause to return fire, "Get inside, both of you and don't come out if you know what's good for you!"

Kyle and Sam didn't have to be told twice. They ran into the door and leapt onto their stomachs, never stopping until they had wiggled themselves back into the spot they had hidden in before. There they listened to the fight outside and the yells and shouts as the men retreated. Quickly the plumbers returned, and Kyle was suddenly struck with just what they had done. They could have been killed and for nothing since Henry wasn't even there. Shame hit him and he paled slightly if it was possible. A look at Sam had him see the same way. They were so screwed.

* * *

"Magister Patelliday," Rook's voice came through the head set.

"I hear ya newbie," the alien commander never let his eyes stray from the targets as he fired rapidly at them. The blaster had become warm in his hands from the rapid work but he learnt to ignore it as he focused on clearing a way out for him and Molly.

"Sir, Magister Tennyson may have been correct about Sam and Kyle," There was a dark edge to the usually peaceful Rooks voice; "Ben and I just ran into them."

"Patelliday's eyes narrowed in anger. "Where are they now?"

"I have sent them back to the ship they came from," Rook explained and they could hear Ben shout something in the distance followed by what sounded like muffled swearing, "We are under far too much fire power to keep them safely by us."

"I'll trust yer call on this Newbie," Magister Patelliday sighed as he finally noticed a gap for them to run past in. He nudged Molly in the direction and they both took off running, firing along the way to take out as many of the knights as they could, "Thanks for the heads up. You and Ben just get out safely and meet us back at base."

"Will do Magister," Rook said firmly before the line was cut with a muffled curse. Patelliday gave one of his own and with a growl he fired back at the knights with a renewed vigor. A couple of steps later and they were back out in the open where the rest of the team was waiting for them. Blaster shots fired over the twos heads, providing cover for him and Molly as they made the last several meters for the ramps. Once inside all of the others maneuvered themselves in until they all were and the ramp had been closed shut with an audible clank. A rumble under their feet and a moment later they were in the air.

He sighed and looked around with a tired eye before rubbing a three fingered hand over his face.

"Now have anyone seen those boys?" He asked firmly once everyone had seated themselves back into their seats.

"I told them to get on the ship earlier sir," Hale said solemnly. The brunet man was looking slightly worse for wear with the scruff marks on his armor and the way his hair had become messed up during the action. He looked tired but Patelliday knew that he was just waiting to get back to his son. He had adopted the boy a year ago but it seemed as though the honeymoon phase had yet to wear off, "Not too sure where they are now."

Patelliday nodded and stepped back into the second chamber of the ship, aware of the other plumbers watching his movements carefully. He grimaced, rubbing a hand over his face and smoothing out the glasses on his nose before he cleared his throat.

"I know you're in here," He said loudly with his hands on his hips, "Sam, Kyle, you'll come out if ya know what's best for ya."

For a moment there was no reply but then he heard the scuffle of clothing rubbing against each other. It came close to the area where he had looked for them earlier. There was a slightly sharp in hale and a muffled curse and Patelliday's eyes widened when a gloved hand reached out from under the seats to grip onto them. Kyle pulled himself slowly out of the crawl space and a grimacing Sam followed, warily pulling themselves to their feet. They stood alongside each other, pale faced and looking completely shameful. They kept their hands behind their backs and refused to look at him.

' _Obviously they know dey're in trouble,'_ Patelliday mused before he cleared his throat and kept them pinned with a hard stare, "Did we not tell you to stay at the base?"

"We just wanted to help get my dad back," Sam replied but refused to look up at him.

"I would appreciate it if you looked at me when I speak," Patelliday said sternly, feeling slightly better when they followed his instructions, even if a bit slowly, "And you didn't think to trust us to get the job done?"

It wasn't until the words left him that the Magister saw the first form of emotion from Kyle. To be honest he had been worried about the boy. The teen tensed up and h was certain that the boy had narrowed his eyes behind the visor that he wore. After that it was like a wave of anger was washing over him.

"Who the hell do you think you are?" He mumbled angrily with a stiffened jaw and tightened fists.

"Excuse me?" Patelliday asked in shock. He wasn't expecting this at all when he imagined rebuking the boys.

"Who do you think you are to just step out and demand us to trust you," He said restrained only by the hand Sam had put on his shoulder, "How do we know that you're the good guys when you haven't even proven it. I haven't ever heard of a Plumber like you, so give us a reason why the hell we should just sit back and trust you!"

"Now you listen here sunny," Magister Patelliday snapped, "We've done nothing but try to help ya. Have we given you reason to think otherwise?"

Kyle only shook his head and let it drop lower.

"So what in the name of uncle Sam did ya think was going to happen?" The pale alien watched as the two boys shuffled on their feet.

"Well it wasn't our fault," Sam said weakly, "If the vent didn't give way we wouldn't have fallen on the meeting and the alarms wouldn't have gone off."

"Meeting?" Patelliday asked hands still on his hips, "What meeting?"

"A bunch of those night guys were talking about some attack they were planning," Kyle muttered, "We were in the vent above them when it gave away."

"Tell me everything," Patelliday said in a no nonsense tone and so they did, going as far as to describe each and every one of the knights they had been able to see. Sometime during the explanation, Molly had joined the Magister's side and had been writing down some of the things they had said, only interrupting to ask certain questions every now and then. What they did leave out however was Kyle's history and connection with Earth first.

When they were done, the magister was quietly thinking through what they had said, rubbing a clawed hand under his chin. Behind him the boys noticed that the other plumbers looked worried themselves about what was going on.

"Magister?" Molly asked her superior, "What do you think they may be planning?"

"Let me ruminate on it rookie," the fish man replied before he turned back to the two boys sternly, "As for you two. You may have gotten us information but what ya did was dangerous. Ya could have gotten hurt."

He took a moment to look over their dirt covered frames littered with scratches along their faces and Sam's hands.

"And that wouldn't be worth it. Both of ya are gonna help clean the base as punishment. Sam will help out in the control center. Kyle with Blukage and Driba."

Sam and Kyle looked at each other in confusion, "Who?"


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: Prime's sparkling does not own Ben 10. Ben 10 belongs to man of action. She only owns her characters and plot.**

* * *

 **CHAPTER 8**

* * *

"No, no the other one!" Driba snapped as he pointed towards a long silver spanner that had been sticking out of the tool box he had been tasked with carrying. Kyle sighed as he did what he was told and he handed it over; peering over at the alien he had been tasked to help. Blukage was taller than Driba but both only came up to around Kyle's knees in height. Driba was broader standing than his partner and a lot more bossy.

"So," Kyle asked awkwardly, cursing Patelliday for splitting him and Sam after they had spent the morning sweeping out the main areas of the base, "What exactly are you guys?"

' _Real smooth,'_ he thought sarcastically, _'Why couldn't I have been given the errand boy job? Talking is more Sam's fort than mine.'_

"We're Galvans," Blukage explained tightening a nut on the machine they were fixing. The boy didn't even bother asking what it did. He doubted they would explain, "We're most well-known for our smarts and intelligence."

"So you're super smart?" Kyle murmured with a raised brow when the smaller of the two turned sharply to gaze at him, "What?"

"Why do you keep doing that?" Driba asked handing him back the spanner, "Screwdriver."

"Doing what?" he asked as he gave the plumber the for mentioned tool.

"Talking like you got something wrong with your jaw," Blukage said nonchanglingly.

Kyle backtracked not certain of what to say. So instead he said nothing. Taking his silence as a negative way, the two frog like aliens were quick to change the subject. They asked him if he knew anything about technology and he told them of how he grew up more in water than on land. He told them stories of the days back in South Africa when the school came out for the holidays how he would help the fishermen on their boats and spend the weekends with Harry and Sam.

"I did have a lot of ideas though," he admitted shyly as he swapped out some of the tools.

"Like what?" Driba explained slightly sarcastically, "No offence but from what I've seen from you humans, you haven't come up with every useful ideas."

Kyle's eyes narrowed behind his visor, "Some human invented Mr. Smoothie."

That caused the two to pause and look at each other dramatically.

"Aside from Mr. Smoothie," they said firmly and Kyle snickered behind his hands.

"A couple of years ago I lived with Harry in the Old Transvaal area of South Africa," he said sobering, "It's the area where all the diamonds mines are."

"What about it?" Blukage asked as he jumped down form the piece of machinery he had been working on.

"Near where we were there was this area of just forest. Sam and I used to g explore it after school," He explained tucking his knees under his chin, "One day this girl that lived in the same street as us disappeared in there. It took them four days to find her. She wasn't very hurt but it was difficult to find her cause she had gotten pretty far out."

"Harry had Sam and I help search with him," he told them, "And when we were walking I wondered why they didn't have a way to maybe search an area before they even get to it."

"Well if they had a way to do that it certainly would have helped," Driba said having him close the lid on the device it had been working on, "Most searches for missing persons tend to end in vain due to limited resources."

"Exactly," Kyle nodded, "Which is why I thought about a device that could do that. I read somewhere that they found a way to connect or read the electrical impulses in the brain to make a prosthetic limb move on its own so I figured why not do the same for this. They could build a head piece that connects to long range drones to search areas faster. They don't have to be very big and I'm sure that there is a way to make you be able to control more than just one. That would eliminate all the problems of heavy equipment so if they find the person they could have their hands free to help them."

"Possible," Blukage explained, "But a system like that would need a heavy power source to work. We're done here come on."

Kyle grunted under the pain he felt in his ribs as he lugged the heavy tool box after the two Galvans, "Simple, weave the source into a jacket the searcher wears. So long as it isn't heavier than most bullet proof vests, most people can wear it. And if the drones are flat and small enough you could even make them rest on a belt or something to charge."

When the two Aliens suddenly stopped, Kyle had to do a double hop to avoid stepping on them. He just narrowly missed.

"You know kid," Blukage explained, "You might just be onto something. Mind If we use your idea to test something?"

Kyle shrugged, "Knock yourselves out."

"Thanks," Driba yelled at him as the two of them suddenly took off, "We're done for today. Com on Blukage I know where to start."

Kyle could only watch with confusion at what was going on.

' _What just happened?'_ He thought setting down the tool case


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: Prime's sparkling does not own Ben 10. Ben 10 belongs to man of action. She only owns her characters and plot.**

* * *

 **CHAPTER 9**

* * *

It had been two days since their disaster of an attempt to rescue Harry, a day since he had spoken to the two Galvans and everything that happened kept Kyle wide awake at one in the morning. He laid exhausted in the bathtub connecting to the room he and Sam were meant to share. It wasn't very spacious and did nothing to help his bruised ribs but it was better than nothing. The twelve year old milled over everything that had happened as he let the water surrounding him sooth over his gills and in the dim light from the bedside lamp they had left on in the room where Sam slept, Kyle's eyes caught sight of the necklace he had shortened into a bracelet. With his gills and the suit he had to wear, it made it impossible to carry it around his neck.

"Momma," He keened as he reached out to pet the strange but beautiful metal pearl that hung at the end. The bracelet was the only thing he had to remember her by and she had given it to him secretly just before she had died when he had been six. The preteen gave a low groan and slowly heaved himself out of the water, keening at the pain in his chest. He quietly donned on his suit and visor and made his way out of the room, only sparing a glance at the other boy sleeping in the bed. Kyle couldn't help but feel that something was off with Sam. Over the last two days since the disastrous rescue attempt it almost seemed as though his brother had been avoiding him.

He shook his head. He was sure that Sam would go back to himself once they found Harry again. The boy padded though the brightly lit halls. They were quiet but he didn't really mind it as he thought over everything that had happened.

The first bit of plumbers that he saw was when he entered the command center. While not as busy as it had been during the day, there were a fair amount of people, alien and human, moving about form console to console. His Spotted Patelliday's out the corner of his eye and wanting a distraction began to make his way up to them.

"Are ya certain fellas?" He heard Patelliday ask once he was within hearing range.

"Yes magister," the plumber that stood on the screen disappeared for a moment and in its place was a diagram of earth's solar system, "We noticed the ship here just slightly beyond Jupiter's rings. From what we can tell, it definitely belongs to the incursions."

"Well that is troubling," Patelliday stood and paced side to side as he rubbed his chin, "In the meantime keep an eye on it, if they get any closer we'll do something about it."

"Yes sir," the man gave Patelliday a solute before his image cut off and Kyle raised an eyebrow under his visor.

"What's an incursion?" he asked lowly, jumping when Patelliday startled and spun around to look at him with wide eyes.

"Davies in a bucket Kyle!' he said taking deep breaths through his gills, "Don't sneak up on me like that."

"Sorry," he murmured with a bashful chuckle, "I didn't mean to."

"Good," the alien huffed before he glanced at the time on the computer terminal, "eh what are you doing up now fella, it's pretty late."

"It's one am it's early," Kyle said slightly cheekily.

He was worried that he had upset the man with his attitude slip but Patelliday seemed to take it well.

"Or early," the man echoed, "What's eaten ya?"

"Couldn't sleep," Kyle muttered and slipped into the second seat next to the plumber. He glanced at the other workers out the corner of his eyes beneath his visor but they were completely focused on their work and didn't seem to be listening.

"Everything getting to ya?" he asked knowingly and Kyle nodded fingering the spot on his glove where the bracelet hid beneath.

"I miss my ma," Kyle admitted quietly, surprising himself. It wasn't often that the pre-teen ever spoke of his mother, "She died when I was just a little kid."

"Sorry ta hear bout that fella, I'm sure she was a wonderful woman," the alien put a gentle hand on his shoulder and Kyle gave him a soft smile, "At least you still got your dad."

Kyle's eyes widened, "Harry's not my dad. He's my guardian. He knew my mom when they were in high school."

"So where's ya dad?" Patelliday asked curiously with narrowed eyes.

Kyle shrugged, "Donno. Mom said he left before I was born. I lived with my step dad for some time before Harry."

"Why'd you leave your step dad?" Patelliday asked worriedly and Kyle shook his head as the phantom pain of the hands that gripped his fragile arms too tightly and of the words that were screamed at him came to mind.

"Don't wanna talk about it," Kyle murmured, "What about you? Have any family?"

"Both my folks still live back home in the old county," Patelliday explained taking the hint, "I got a sister who has a nephew and a couple of older brothers."

"Did they get you into trouble a lot," Kyle asked tilting his head, "Sam always tries to pin the blame on me when he does something he shouldn't."

"Every time," Patelliday gave a toothy chuckle as he seemed to recall the memories fondly, "ah remember there was a time when my brothers bought home a stray animal and it wrecked everything, so they pinned it on me."

"Did you do anything to get them back?" Kyle queried with a gentle smile, though was still careful to keep his lips closed to not show his teeth.

"Didn't have to. Ah just let them ruminate about what happened and tricked them into doing all my chores," the plumber gave a dark chuckle, "Least they wanted me to snitch on them. Eventually they came clean on their own."

Kyle laughed, tucking a hand over his mouth to hide the sight of it but it was the first time that he had laughed like that since Harry had rescued him. As he calmed down he realized that the Magister still hadn't answered his first question.

"You still haven't told me what an incursion is," he inquired softly, "I didn't mean to eves drop on you."

"Incursions are like these frog critters that like taking over other planets to rule," Patelliday explained, "Took over Bellwood some time ago and we chased them off with Ben's help. Now don't you worry fella they ain't gonna reach earth again."

He nodded and for a while they sat in relative silence, only broken when Kyle would ask about the purpose of some of the controls on the screen Patelliday had been watching were for. It wasn't until hours had gone by that Kyle drifted off in his seat. When he woke later that morning he would wonder how he found himself back in the room he and Sam shared, laying across one of the beds with his boots on the floor and feet only covered in the white silicon socks he used to stop the chaffing on his feet.


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: Prime's sparkling does not own Ben 10. Ben 10 belongs to man of action. She only owns her characters and plot.**

* * *

 **CHAPTER 10**

* * *

Five days since his talk with Patelliday and Kyle was more than certain that Sam was ignoring him. He was quiet, never saying more than a few words to him at a time and each time outside the rooms when they walked down the halls he would turn around and go the other way. By the time Kyle had gotten to the room they shared Sam had already long since dwindled off to sleep. He didn't have the heart to wake him and without his brother by his side, Kyle had to find other ways of keeping busy. Their punishment had ended the day before but the preteen had taken to hanging around Blukage and Driba, acting as their guinnee pigs for their tests on the idea he had given him and learning more about things that the galvans had invented. At night he spent his time with Patelliday, finding the fish man's presence fun to be around. He found out that Patelliday had once been the sheriff in the back water town he had grown up in before he had joined the plumbers and of some of the adventures they had been through as he grew through the ranks. In return Kyle told him of his swimming achievements and of the try outs that were coming up at the school.

"You should go for it," Patelliday had told him firmly yet encouragingly with a three fingered hand on one shoulder. That had been the highlight of Kyle's evening and he had gone to bed smiling. Little did he know that that happiness was about to end.

* * *

He had been carrying a tool case down from the mechanic's lab in the basement to the workshop were Blukkage and Driba stood waiting for him when he next saw his brother. He knew that Sam had been ignoring him. Every time he would try to converse with him the teen would make a quick excuse and beat it for the hills. At night he would make certain he was already be asleep when Kyle came to bed and the one time Kyle had made certain he was in the room earlier he had all but ignored him. He shook the darker thoughts out of his head as a feeling of dark anger suddenly ran through him. While his many talks with Patelliday had helped him, Kyle couldn't help but feel hurt at the blond boy's actions. And he had had enough of it. He put the case down on the floor. Blukkage and Driba would come find it once they became impatient. The twelve year old grunted and ran a gloved hand over his head in a calming manner, wincing as his fingers touched an old scared stump on his forehead that was hidden by his hair line and made his way over to the other boy. He followed him, waiting until he was at a quieter area before he dared make a sound.

"Why have you been ignoring me?" He demanded loudly. The hallway he was in was bare save the two of them and the cameras were to his back. As such Kyle had no problem opening his mouth completely.

"I'm not," Sam said back slightly harshly, "Now if you'll excuse me I have somewhere else to be."

"No you don't," Kyle stepped in his path making the older boy sneer at him. The pre-teen's eyes narrowed under the visor," Not until you tell me why you've been treating me like this!"

"It's none of your business Kyle!" Sam was agitated. Kyle could see it and it was making him angrier.

"Ja it is you _bliksem_ especially when I don't even know what I did wrong to cause you to suddenly hate me so much," Kyle screamed in anger, finally letting out the frustrations that had built up over the last week since their failed attempt at rescuing Harry, "You've been acting like this since the fake mission."

Tears appeared at Sam's eyes, making Kyle flinch. He hadn't seen Sam cry since his mother had died and when Harry had been first kidnapped and he had never been the reason for it.

"You want to know why I don't even want to look at you." Sam screamed, "It's because it's all your fault."

"What," Kyle whispered as he reared back, "What's that supposed to mean?!"

"I mean it's your fault," Sam said back harshly, unaware of the crowd that had started to form behind Kyle, "My dad would still be safe if we never took you in. you heard those knights. They were after you. This is your fault."

Kyle felt his he heart break as his body shook. He had no tear tracks like his brother did but he was already crying and the salty tears simply mixed in with the water in his Visor.

"You think I wanted this?" Kyle asked softly as he watched Sam give him a rage filled glare before the boy ran in another direction. This time Kyle did not stop him. He stood in the hall way suddenly feeling numb. He gave no reaction to the living world until a heavy hand was put on his shoulder. He swung around to see Rook looking at him in concern and with a quivering lip he bolted. The twelve year old boy ran blindly, simply wanting to get away as salted tears stained the clear water of his visor. His vision swam and when he finally stopped running he realized that he could not breathe. Not caring at the moment of where he had run to, the small boy curled up in a corner of the room with his knees up against his chest and wept.

That was how Magister Patelliday had found him several hours later in his office. He had had many conversations with the boy and had been concerned when he had heard about the harsh sounding conversation between the two siblings, adopted or not. The older plumber had a feeling that the boys both knew more than they were letting on about the knights but let it go. He would simply have to ask them later. Careful the magister scooped up the boy into his arms, worried when he felt how light he was and turned back towards the boy's room. When the boy was back in his assigned bed he paused for a moment. Kyle's pale face was startlingly red under the visor and Patelliday wondered if he should perhaps take it off. He knew the boy had been crying and perhaps cool air would help with the pain but then remembered that Kyle had told him that the visor protected his sensitive eyes. Instead the fish man sighed and gently ran a three fingered hand through Kyle's dark hair, a motion that seemed to work as the child calmed down and settled further into his sleep. He paused when his fingers crossed over a rough bump and when he moved the hair out of the way Patelliday was surprised to see a small stump of skin sitting at the base of Kyle's hair line. It was scarred up and the Magister's eyes narrowed behind the glasses he wore.

'Strange,' He thought, 'almost looks as though he had 'an angular.'

He shook it off and gave a gentle smile at the boy he had begun to get closer to, "Ya rest up now sunny. Everything's gunna be just alright."

* * *

 **TRANSLATIONS FROM AFRIKAANS TO ENGLISH:**

Ja - yes

 _Bliksem –Bastard/ idiot_


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: Prime's sparkling does not own Ben 10. Ben 10 belongs to man of action. She only owns her characters and plot.**

* * *

 **CHAPTER 11**

* * *

Kyle did not know what to think when he woke the next morning. He found himself strangely numb as he went through the motions of cleaning out the slime from his gear again and stocking up on extra water for the day since he had yet to fix the leak in his suit. Sam's bed was already empty which Kyle was grateful for. He didn't really even want to talk to the boy. He felt far too betrayed by what happened. And yet he did not deny it. The boy shook his head to clear his darker thoughts and began to make his way out of the room. He didn't greet any of the plumbers he encountered in the halls and completely missed the sympathetic and worried looks that were sent his way. He was quiet as he settled down in the truck that would take them back to school for the first time since all of the drama had started over a month previously. A moment later an equally quiet looking Sam joined him and sat on the bench across from him. For a moment his brother looked like he wanted to say something to him but then thought better of it and turned his head away.

Kyle sighed. It was going to be a long day.

* * *

Benjamin Tennyson was always known for having an ace up his sleeves. Maybe what he was doing was wrong but he knew if it did turn out to be what he thought it was things would change. The teen waited for Kyle to leave the room and felt extremely worried when the boy did not even reply to the greeting he gave him. Instead he walked on, face blank and visor pointing towards the door. Ben wondered if they would ever get to see what his eyes even looked like. The wielder of the omnitix had heard about the infamous argument between the two brothers the day before. News at a plumber base had a tendency to spread quickly much like it did back in high school it seemed. He hadn't been present when the fight had broken out but he had heard enough from Rook who had to raise eye brows.

He waited until Kyle was far enough down the corridor not to see him before he wondered up to their quarters. He was not even worried about running into Sam. The older pre-teen had slept in the recreation room down stairs to avoid Kyle after their little spat. Using a card he had borrowed from Jerry, Ben swiped open the door and stepped into the room. He just prayed that Jerry didn't go asking his grandfather about being locked out of the building. The room was in a sort of disarray. One side of the room was messy with clothing lying across the floor. He could immediately tell it belonged to Sam. The blond haired boy was simply messy in general. Kyle's side of the room on the other hand was sparse, the only thing even remotely messy being his unmade bed. The vizored boy's bags were still packed and laying at the edge of his bed and Ben's eyes narrowed. For some reason that didn't quite sit right with him. None the less he walked up to it and hesitantly opened the first bag. It was filled mostly with the school books the boy had yet to stuff into a locker none of which would really help him at that moment. The second bag had some clothing and he smirked. Bingo. He started looking through it, hoping to find something that would help him with his cause like a hair. It wasn't until he pulled out the leather jacket Kyle had been wearing the day Ben had first met him that something significant happened. A carefully wrapped in the jacket book fell out and hit the floor. Curious, Ben picked up what he realized was actually an old journal. It was one of those mole skin ones and it was full of pages. Ben bit his lip. He could tell just from the wear and tear that it was well used and often read. Something that more than likely meant a lot to Kyle before he shrugged.

What Kyle didn't know wouldn't hurt him right?

He flipped open the book and began reading the first few entries, surprised when he saw they were mostly in English. They dated back to before Kyle was even born and he wondered why the boy would even keep it.

 _September 1, 2001_

 _Ma_

 _Things have not been going all that well since I last wrote to you. People seem to think me crazy for all my letters that I have written to you since you moved on to the next world when I was a small child, but it's helped me more than most seem to believe. It seems sillier to write a note and simply date it 'dear diary' doesn't it?_

 _Sadly that was not what I intended to write to you about. As I had said before things had gone wrong since our last words. Papa has taken a turn for the worse. He seems to struggle with the basics of things now days, needing help even to simply answer the front door. His condition is worsening by the day. Mia, bless her heart, has found a doctor that is willing to help but he is all the way out in America. We won't be able to get there before the tenth and the doctor is willing to see him the next day after. I still have exams this week and so I can not go with but Mia will. Hopefully this doctor can help. In the meantime, Mathew will look after me and I will stay with his family until Mia can return again. She was always the responsible one._

 _Ek lief jou met al my hart_

 _Christie_

Ben frowned, feeling a bad pit begin to form in his stomach. He looked on the date of the entry and suddenly felt afraid to read on. Yet he did anyway.

 _September 13, 2001_

 _Ma_

 _Papa and Mia are dead and I am alone now. They got to America just fine, but there was an attack on the place where the doctor was working. They didn't make it out. The official that spoke with me said they were at ground zero. What am I going to do now mama? I'm but a child in an adult body. I still have two years of school left in me before I graduate and my family is gone. First you and now Papa and Mia. I don't know if I can go on. I don't know if I can be strong enough for it. Mathew's family is sympathetic and almost all of the town has stopped by to say how sorry they were to hear of them. I don't like that. I know they mean well but all I want is too be left alone to grieve. It hurts so badly. Harry has been keeping close and for once he and Mathew are not at each other's throats. Sadly it seems no matter how many times I told Mathew that Harry was only a friend, my oldest and most loyal friend they just cannot help but gun for one another. But I'm glad they are working together in a truce. I doubt I can handle dealing with the bliksems right now in an argument._

 _Christie_

Ben had tears in his eyes. He himself had only been three of four years old when the horrible attack had happened but he had learned enough about it through his family and his school after a boy that had been in his kindergarten class had suddenly disappeared a day later. Granted it was several years before he had realized that his friend had more than likely died. So this Christie lost most of her family to that event too? Ben wiped his eyes on his sleeve and turned the page. A nearly faded photo fell into his lap and he picked it up peering at the image of two young women smiling and surrounded by what looked to be a peaceful park. Both girls had dark black hair like Kyle did, but the older one whom he guessed was Mia had some blond highlighted in hers. They were fairly tanned skinned and had easy going smiles. Christie was pretty, just like her older sister but younger. She had some freckles across her skin and her chin was more pointy than her sisters. Ben started to wonder if they were related to Kyle in any way. Kyle had the same pointy like chin Christie did. He put the photo back and paged further on, surprised when he noticed there was no new entries for over two years since her last one.

 _July 23, 2003_

 _Mama_

 _It's been two long years. Far too long since I last sent a letter. It took some time for me to move on you know since Papa and Mia left. I still miss them and sometimes that pain of just losing them comes back and it feels like it just happened. I'm a warrior through. It just took me sometime to realize that. You used to call me that remember. I was you're little amazon, always brave and never holding back to the world. Mathew didn't seem to think it like that through. He left me yesterday; or rather I was the one leaving. I found him in bed with Tristan Meyers. Turns out he only loved me when I was the one needing him. Now that I am strong enough to stand on my own two feet again he misses the power he had over me. What a nice eighteenth birthday present to give a girl huh?_

 _I would cut it here only that wasn't where it ended. So I left, feeling so betrayed so strongly that it felt as though the grief was going to swallow me whole again. Papa had always told me that us Summers tended to feel emotions more deeply than we wanted to. I could have let myself be swallowed by it. It would have been so easy. At least then I would have been numb to the world around me. Instead I used my new freedoms as an adult to go into the first bar I could find and ordered the strongest drink they could offer. You and papa had never let me drink so needless to say by my third, or was it my fourth, drink I was completely out of it. There were some men at the bar that saw this. They made me uncomfortable and before long I had left to head back to an empty home. Little had I known at the time that the men had followed until I was pinned down and unable to fight them off. I thought I would be a gonner mama. Until HE saved me. It's like he came out of nowhere and suddenly the men were gone. I let him take me home and it wasn't until I managed to turn on a light when I actually saw what my hero looked like. The closest I could find was a cross between a man and a fish. He actually spoke and calmed me down before I could panic. Explained where he came from and what he was and I couldn't help it mama. I was just so tired of being alone. You, papa and Mia were gone. Mathew left me and I just wanted something to move on. I kissed him, despite differences. I guess when I am drunk I can be fairly persuasive because before long we moved on much further than kissing. When o woke this morning he was already gone but it was not something I would ever forget mama. And the sad part about it was that I don't think I would be able to see him again. The only evidence that he had been there aside from the gentle marks left on my skin was the necklace he had left on the bedside. It must have fallen to the floor sometime during the night and he in the morning forgot to take it. And I never asked his name._

 _Christie_

Ben's face flushed when he realized what she had been talking about and suddenly jumped when his communicator went off in his pocket. It was only an alarm to warn him when it was time to meet up with Rook for some smoothies in town. The cat like alien was most likely waiting for him back up at the HQ. He decided to keep the book and quickly rose to his feet, swiping the jacket as well. He was sure they could find what they were looking for on it. He made his way out of the room deep in thought and suspicions slowly rising.

Ben was glad that all the Plumbers files were on the medical system the galvans used. It would make his plans all the much more easier.

* * *

 **TRANSLATIONS FROM AFRIKAANS TO ENGLISH:**

 _Ek lief jou met al my hart- I love you with all my heart_

 _Bliksems- bastards/ idiots_


End file.
